Where Loyalties Lie
by Salvaje Ry
Summary: Bellatrix was a true warrior, just as her name suggested. Hermione was entranced by the woman's graceful gait and her agile tongue as she softly spoke her first curse since Azkaban. "Crucio."
1. Chapter 1

_1993_

Hermione watched in disdain as the thin and dirty man pulled himself from the ground. His grey eyes stared back at her with determination, with a life that she wished to snuff out. Her wand rose a second time, the cruciatus curse dancing across the tip of her tongue.

"Please no, I'll do anything you ask." His voice was a gasped whisper. Her eyes raked over his form and she almost felt pity when she caught sight of his protruding ribs through his torn Azkaban jumpsuit. The moonlight pouring into the astronomy tower made his skin even paler than the years in prison had. His beard was a mess; scruffy, tangled, and dirty.

"I know because cowards would trade anything to save their life. I want to know if you still live and breathe for our Lord." Her voice was calm, but her grey eyes reflected the hatred that filled her body. She saw the hesitance in the tension of his shoulders. His mouth opened and closed as thoughts swirled around his head. Impatience welled and with a flick of her wrist she set his body convulsing once again. She couldn't afford for him to die or fall victim to insanity so his torture was cut short, much to her chagrin. "Answer me, filth, I don't wish to stand here all night!" She sneered, irritation becoming apparent on her face.

"I will follow our Lord til my last breath." He wheezed pathetically. She rolled her eyes, she knew he was lying, it was his specialty. His body twitched ever so often as the curse's aftereffects worked through his system.

"You're full of shite Sirius, Aunt Cissy always said you were a disgrace to purebloods." Her grey eyes bore through him, sifting through his mind and finding lie after lie. His occlumency was nearly as disgraceful as his blood traitorous love for the halfbreed, Lupin. He held many mistakes in his shoulders, but one their Lord could never forgive was his closeness to the werewolf. His request for his mark was swiftly declined because their Lord couldn't have someone like Sirius Black representing his empire.

"Please! Hermione, my dear niece, do not let your aunt brainwash you any further. Your father-"

"My father is dead!" She screamed and cast an incendio, setting his body ablaze. She felt unexplainable joy as his body burned, but she soon put him out, as her Lord would be angry if the man were to die. He continued to scream long after the fire was snuffed, his flesh was peeling and puss leaked from the blisters that popped each time he moved. "Leave Sirius. That filthy feathered creature is waiting for you on the outskirts of the forest. Uncle Lucius was going to have him slaughtered for injuring Draco, but with a bit of persuasion on my part, I was able to save that dastardly creature from my uncle and you from our Lord's wrath. See this as the only kindness that you will receive from me, uncle." She spat at his feet and turned to leave. "The sun will rise in three hours, Dumbledore has delayed Filch and his bloody cat until then, get out. Next time we meet, we will be enemies and I will not hesitate to end you." She laughed before leaving Sirius to crawl out of the castle and into the forest.

 _1978_

Josephine Black nee Malfoy smiled tiredly at the small bundle resting in her arms. The infant had a small tuft of curly, bright blonde hair on her head. Her eyes had remained closed from the moment of her birth, but she giggled and balled her small hands like any infant. The child's magic stirred the air and brought the once empty house to life.

"You should have heard it Lucius. Her cry was so powerful, I could feel her magic in surrounding me." Josephine looked up as her husband and brother entered her bedroom. Regulus's face held pride, while Lucius's was filled with awe. She smiled a bit wider when she saw them, their smiles were so rare and it brought her so much joy to not only be holding her child, but to also have her family all together. She worried for them when they left to fight each of their Lord's battles and she feared one day they wouldn't return.

"Her magic has manifested so early. Our Lord is already interested in her. She is the second child in all of magical history to show signs of magic at birth." Lucius looked down at the small bundle. "Her hair." His fingers ran over the small tuft. "Seems to me that her power comes from her Malfoy blood, just look at her." Pride welled in his chest as he watched his niece smile and wave her tiny fists about. Her eyes remained closed, but if she had the Malfoy hair, he was sure the pale blue eyes of their ancestors were hiding beneath her lids.

"Now wait a minute, have you forgotten what colour your wife's hair is?" Regulus laughed as Lucius looked taken aback.

"Speaking of my sister-in-law, when are the two of you planning to have a child, Lucius?" Josephine smiled as red tinged her brother's cheeks, a darkness passed through his eyes, but was gone just as quickly. She wanted to dwell on the moment, but she was sure she only imagined it and ignored it. Narcissa was an innocent young woman, though she knew how pureblood society worked and functioned perfectly in it, she knew little of the bedroom or the continuing of bloodlines. Lucius confided in his older sister before his wedding that he feared taking Narcissa's innocence because after it was gone he was uncertain his wife would still be the shy young girl he met so many years prior. Lucius was no prude, but the thought of being as open with his intimate life as his brother-in-law was far too scandalous for his tastes.

"In due time sister." Josephine smiled at her brother. Lucius was only 22, but his marriage was nearly five years old and his wife had not fallen pregnant, nor had he made any plans for conception in the near future. The couple took a year and a half to travel the world for their honeymoon. The way Lucius's letters were written she was expecting them to return with a blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl swaddled in the finest of cloths the Malfoy fortune could buy. When they made it home, something seemed different about them and the child was nothing more than a quiet night of tears and angry words that no one besides the couple would ever hear or see. "Have the two of you chosen a name?"

"After months of arguing we finally came to a compromise that would suit us both. She has always been fond of the name Hermione, but I wished to follow Black tradition and name our daughter Gemini. Thus she has consented to the name Hermione Gemini Black." Regulus gesticulated with his usual theatrics. He was the epitome of the perfect pureblood man in public, but at home when The Dark Lord was not watching he was far from the serious and silent man that everyone knew him to be. With the constant shadow of their Lord looming over them, they could only get two years before their Lord began demanding a child from them and exactly 9 months later, here she was.

"Narcissa will want to meet the child soon." Lucius swept some of his sister's blonde her behind her ear. His sister was glowing, though exhausted and slightly paler than usual, motherhood truly suited her. "She is beautiful, Josephine." He smiled down at his niece one last time before turning for the door with a slight grimace on his face.

"It seems that our Lord is calling darling. Rest and I will return with Lucius and Narcissa tonight." Regulus tried to remain smiling, but the mark's heat scorched the skin of his forearm the longer it took for him to comply with its wishes.

"Do go, you mustn't make him wait any longer." She waved tiredly. As the sounds of their apparition filled the room she sighed. She was still waiting for her daughter to open her eyes, to either reveal the piercing grey of her Black blood or the bright blue of the Malfoy's. It was three days since the child's birth and with Regulus being away on a mission until just the day prior she was still exhausted, but her joy could not be diminished.

She stood slowly from the bed, abandoning the warmth of her duvet to place the child into her crib. "Sweet dreams, my dear Hermione." She watched the way her forehead crinkled and her eyebrows furrowed, the crib was foreign compared to her mother's arms, but she settled quickly.

 _1981_

Hermione giggled and twirled Bellatrix's long black curls around her small finger. "Pretty." The blonde child whispered as the Death Eater held her close. Hermione's free hand reached for the bird skull necklace that lie just above Bellatrix's bosom; its dark hollow eyes entranced the small girl. The beak nicked the child's finger and Bellatrix prepared to quiet her when the inevitable crying began, but no tears were shed. Hermione watched the thin stream of blood run the length of her finger tip in the moonlight that poured through the opening between the drapes. "Red." She whispered in awe. Bellatrix watched on with amusement as the child seemed so enamoured with the sight of blood.

"Yes child, it is called blood." Bellatrix cooed in her usual insanity. Her dark eyes held a sort of focus that was uncommon for the dark witch. Her black abysses watched the girl and softened minutely as dimpled fingers poked the woman's cheek.

Bellatrix listened to the quiet footsteps outside of the bedroom door. Someone was attempting to sneak up on her, but rather than manic anger, she was simply amused. Her wand was trained expertly at the chest of the intruder before they could fully comprehend who was standing before them. "Crucio." Bellatrix whispered without looking at the person as they dropped to the floor with a piercing scream. The scream did catch Hermione's attention; however, her reaction was once again something unexpected to the murderess. Hermione giggled as she watch her mother writhe on the wooden floors of her bedroom.

Bellatrix released Josephine from the crippling pain and joined Hermione in laughter. "Crucio." The small child repeated. She pouted when her mother didn't begin screaming as she did when Bellatrix said it. Bellatrix's laughter died as she watched. Determination danced through the child's eyes and suddenly she shouted the curse, surprising both her mother and the Death Eater. Josephine felt pain coursing through her again. She tried to rip through her scorching flesh to release the boiling blood inside of her.

"Now now little one, we mustn't ruin mummy. You need someone to watch after you until I come back, darling." Hermione smiled up at the dark witch and continued twirling black curls around her finger. Josephine gasped for air as tears poured down her cheeks, and blood poured from her forearms where she had torn at the flesh. She watched the way Bellatrix held her child and jealousy welled in the pit of her stomach. Hermione was never been so enchanted with her own presence, but Bellatrix suddenly appears and she was enamoured. "She is quite beautiful, Josey. I will return later tonight to collect her, our Lord wishes for me to raise her. Her dear father was killed by that filthy blood traitor brother of his. I told Regulus that his brother could not be trusted and now Sirius has gone off and been captured by the aurors before I could get my hands on him." She glared hatefully out the window before setting Hermione back into her small bed. Bellatrix pulled the silk duvet up, tucking the child into her bed before kissing her forehead.

"No Bella, don't go!" Hermione cried. She latched onto the the skirt of Bellatrix's dress. "No Bella!" Tears poured from Hermione's eyes. Bellatrix turned back uncertainly, confusion filling her. She never felt this emotion before; the need to comfort the child was overwhelming.

"Don't cry, my darling. You will be just as pathetic as your mother if you grow up crying when you don't get your way." Bellatrix cooed soothingly to the small blonde. "I will return for you in the morning. Sweet dreams, my lovely."

Bellatrix left her that night and Hermione cried herself to sleep for months when the dark witch didn't return the next morning.

 _1990_

"Hermione remember that you are a Black. Should you disgrace yourself you are-"

"Disgracing both you and my father, the great Regulus Black, one of our Lord's most loyal." Hermione met her mother's bright blue eyes. She was glad she had not inherited the Malfoy eyes. Her mother and uncle were nothing more than cowards, but she could understand why their Lord kept them around. Regulus being the head of the Noble and Ancient House of Black passed all of his fortune to his wife and daughter upon his death and her uncle being the head of the House of Malfoy also offered a large sum of money to benefit their Lord's cause.

"You mustn't speak that way in public, my dear. At least not around anyone besides your fellow Slytherins." Josephine looked panicked and her daughter glared irritably at her. Hermione wished for a moment she would have been lucky enough to receive Narcissa Malfoy as a mother, Narcissa was a true Black. She was the perfect and pristine pureblood woman, but she was powerful and cruel under her cool exterior. She flicked her wand with precision and she never lost her composure.

Josephine was one of the more likeable purebloods amongst the filthy population, the filthy population being the impure. No one knew anything about her father because he was forbidden by their Lord from becoming a public figure as Lucius was. Josephine was the example that everyone assumed Hermione would follow, but how very incorrect they would soon find their assumption to be.

The red train blew its whistle, giving Hermione the perfect excuse for escape. "I must be going mother, can't allow them to leave without me."

"Yes of course, my dear. Remember to-" Hermione had already turned to leave, not sparing her mother a second glance.

She stepped onto the train and began the process of locating a suitable car to spend the journey in. Each that she passed seemed to have a mixture of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs filling every seat. As she neared the end of the train she was stopped by a tall and incredibly hideous Slytherin boy.

"You must be Hermione Black, the child of the legendary Regulus Black." His voice was nearly as repugnant as his face, but who was she to turn down praise when it was due.

"I am and you are?" She stared emotionlessly at him.

"Marcus Flint, third year. Would you like to sit with myself and a few of our fellow Slytherins?" She could see the hope shining in his eyes. Her mother had yet to sign any marriage contracts, which left the pureblood aristocrats' children to try to garner her favour in hopes she would persuade her mother to marry her off. The Flint family was off the list entirely. She simply nodded and followed after him.

Upon their arrival she was offered a window seat after commenting about how lovely the Scottish countryside was and promptly introduced to everyone. Three first years, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode, and Adrian Pucey, two third years, Roselyn Wakes and Marcus, and surprisingly a second year Hufflepuff by the name of Cedric Diggory.

"Tell me Diggory, what's a Hufflepuff doing in a den of snakes?" Hermione asked, her tone holding genuine curiosity and a bit of humour. Cedric's chin rose minutely before flashing the blonde a smirk fitting of a Slytherin.

"I may be a Hufflepuff, but that simply means I am destined to be our Lord's loyalist follower." The students all laughed.

"I can appreciate your dedication Diggory, but there will never be any more loyal than Bellatrix Black." Every eye turned to her, she was the only one in the entire train that had ever had direct contact with Bellatrix Black or their Lord.

"What's she like?" Millicent whispered in awe. The broad shouldered brunette was one of Bellatrix's biggest fans.

"Y-yeah." Adrian stuttered uncertainly.

"She has to be pretty bloody amazing if she's our Lord's right hand!" Roselyn's tone mimicked Millicent's.

"She's magnificent, the strongest witch I have ever seen. Her spells always hit their mark, I've never seen her miss. Our Lord allowed me to watch his memories of her in battle, she looked like a true warrior. She wielded her wand expertly, every spell flew from her lips without hesitation. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen, I felt honoured not only by our Lord, but by Bella for asking him to keep that memory for me." Her grey eyes filled with adoration and longing. Each of her new classmates could hear the pure devotion in her words.

"Bella?" Marcus smirked at her.

"Yes Bellatrix is quite the mouthful." She lied easily and turned to the window. Her throat felt tight and her chest hurt from remembering that night. Bella leaving was one of the saddest moments of her life and she promised on her fifth birthday when her Aunt Cissy showed her another new memory of Bella that she would never be pathetic like her mother or her disowned aunt, Andromeda. She watched Andromeda proclaim her love for a mudblood and sully their bloodline. She watched her Great-Uncle Cygnus blast her filthy blood traitorous face from the family tapestry.

The the others chatted while she read. Bella had gifted her many tomes of the dark arts before her imprisonment. The night Bella left was the first time she had ever seen Bella with her own eyes, before then it was just letters that her mother read to her and gifts that Bella thought Hermione would need as she grew. She watched a few memories of her mother's, memories of her younger self receiving gifts from her beloved Bella and she could tell she was infatuated with Bella long before the two of them ever met.

She never really got to read through the texts that Bella gifted her because she was still quite young and her mother never wished to explain them to her. When she turned seven she asked her Aunt Cissy to go over Bella's tomes with her and her Aunt seemed more than pleased. Thus began a rivalry between her mother and aunt that led to the constant studying of not only the dark arts, but common spells and everything she would need to succeed at Hogwarts as well.

The tome she was currently reading was called The Art and History of Fire and Explosive Spells, she was quite fond of this particular one. While her beloved Bella always enjoyed making people bleed, Hermione was more interested in fire. She liked to see things burn, though the curciatus curse was the first she mastered, incendio was a close second. Her Lord was the one to teach her that spell, he took her with him on a raid where they burned down an entire neighbourhood in search of the Potter boy. He watched in intrigue as the small child repeated the spell and on the second try she was able to replicate it, wandless and all. Their Lord knew then, with his Death Eaters standing around him, small girl in his arms, that she was to be the prodigal child he never had. Incendio was one of her favourites, but from fear of her burning their manor to the ground her mother never condoned its use and Hermione was left to use it on her own outside when her mother was off doing business in the study or entertaining in the library. Of course Hermione was never allowed to roam alone, so she resorted to crying and when the elf that was assigned to her, Diffy, disappeared she ran. Her mother always found her with smudge marks all over her face and singed pieces on the tips of her long blonde curls.

"Hey Hermione, we're almost there!" Millicent yelled excitedly. Hermione looked back out the window and was nearly awestricken by the castle that sat off in the distance.

"This way first years!" She heard as the train came to stop. Everyone began making their way off the train. As she stepped off, her tome resting under her arm, she saw a half-giant standing on the platform directing the first years to boats. The man's beard was long and unkempt, his clothes looked like glorified rags, and his stench was foul enough to reach her from multiple metres away.

"A halfbreed, how dreadful." She sneered. She spat at his feet in passing earning laughs and cheers from her fellow Slytherins and future Slytherins as they stepped off behind her. She led a pack of Slytherin students as more and more of them recognised her. Her bright blonde curls and piercing grey eyes were clear signs of a Black. Unlike the other houses, besides the Malfoy's of course, the few Blacks that acquired blonde hair had ashen blonde hair, so pale and bright it was nearly white. Her thick curls were a shining beacon in the ocean of students.

Rather than wasting time staring at the Castle, she continued to read as the boats moved across the water. Her interest in the castle's exterior was fleeting, but she was excited about exploring inside the castle walls.

"Is that all you do? Read?" This was the first time Daphne had spoken besides introducing herself and her haughty tone was unimpressive to Hermione.

Hermione spared the other blonde a short glance before completely ignoring her. She heard a short huff and controlled the urge to smirk. The Greengrass girl was attempting to get under her skin, but she would have to try much harder.

Hermione was enjoying all of the material she was taking in, but she was becoming irritated with how little freedom she had. How would she practise? Understanding the concept of a spell was completely different from actually performing one. She would find a place or perhaps she could sneak out at night; she was a Black, her choices were endless.

The boats docked and the first years were herded into the entrance hall and stopped in front of an old woman with green eyes, deep wrinkles, and a pointed hat. She looked as if she had sat on her wand.

"Hey there, the names George."

"And I'm Fred." Twin redheads tapped Hermione's shoulders. She was taken aback that poor blood traitor filth thought themselves worthy enough to touch her. They raised there hands to shake hers, but her eyes fell on the freckled skin disdainfully.

"Weasleys, I presume." She kept her face as neutral as she could, but her disdain was still laced through her every word. "To what do I owe this... misfortune?" Her eyes ran the lengths of their lanky bodies, both wearing too-big hand-me-down robes and worn out shoes. Both boys shifted nervously, confusion filling their eyes.

"Yeah." They both squeaked.

"What's your-"

"Name?" Her irritation grew as they continued to converse with her, but she decided she would humour them just a moment longer.

"Hermione Black." She sneered and they gasped.

"Much too good to be bothered with the likes of you." Daphne's ire was nearly as scorching as Hermione's. The other blonde draped her arm around Hermione's shoulders pulling her, almost possessively, away from the twins. Their cheeks were red with embarrassment and shame as the future Slytherins laughed at them. Hermione smirked in their direction and was a bit irritated by the determination that flickered in their ocean blue depth. Her irritation grew when Daphne's arm remained on her shoulders, though she didn't complain. Her aunt once told her that connections are important especially when you are at the top of the hierarchy. The fame she had lived on all of her life was that of her father and it was her turn to create a place for herself in history right along side him. Daphne wasn't the most pleasing to put up with so far, but her family was wealthy and Hermione liked the idea of acquiring more wealth.

"Follow me!" The old witch, McGonagall, called over the chatter of the first years. As the large double doors opened, Hermione didn't spare a single glance at the great hall. She walked with her head raised and her hands clasped behind her back the whole of the soon-to-be Slytherin first years walking behind her with the same elitist prestige. Gasps sounded throughout the whole of the Slytherin house table and there were even a few from the older students at the other house tables.

McGonagall and the old swine, Dumbledore, kept their eyes trained on her nearly the entire time. Their suspicion of her was palpable, no one from her family ever left Hogwarts without leaving a lasting impression. Snape watched her with a sort of pride, as her cousin's godfather the two of them were often in each other's company.

Hermione's name was called quickly and she walked up to the stool without an ounce of fear. She wasn't nervous, she was ready; ready to make her family, her Lord, and her beloved Bella proud.

She glared at the dusty old hat, but allowed it to touch her pristine curls anyway.

"Hmm. Such an angry child you are." The hat spoke into her head. "You would prosper in Ravenclaw were it not for that nasty streak. You would terrorise those poor Hufflepuffs and Godric help Gryffindor if I were to place you there. It seems the only proper house for you would be... SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled. While it seemed to her that the hat had been on her head for ages, the hat had hardly touched her head before making its decision.

The Slytherin house table not only cheered, but applauded as the heir of The Noble and Ancient House of Black, daughter of the legendary Regulus Black earned her green and silver and took her place amongst her brethren.

Later that night Hermione sent a letter to her mother. One of the few that the worried mother would receive.

 _Dear Mother,_

 _I was sorted into Slytherin today._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Hermione Black_

 _Narcissa Malfoy also received a letter that night._

 _Dear Aunt Cissy,_

 _I am quite pleased to inform you that I was sorted into Slytherin today. I have reluctantly become friends with the halfblood Bulstrode and Wakes girls, the Flint, Pucey, and Greengrass heirs, and a pureblood Hufflepuff that claims loyalty to our Lord. His name is Cedric Diggory. The children of those filthy blood traitor Weasleys tried to befriend me today, but their attempts were intercepted, though I feel that this will not be the only time the poor red headed filth attempts to garner my attention._

 _Send my regards to my dearest cousin, Draco, I wish to practise the magic I have learned from my tomes with him over the holidays. I hoped Draco would be as advanced with his abilities as I am, but because he is not I have taken it upon myself to train him._

 _So far, I am very unimpressed with Hogwarts and wish more than anything I could be back at the manor, mine or yours, practising until Bella returns to us._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Hermione Black_

 _1965_

The Dark Lord was smiling, a genuine smile. His smile was quite sinister, but those of his followers sitting at the table around him knew his smile meant he was happy and at the very least had some good news.

"Did you bring him in Abraxas?" Abraxas Malfoy stood from the table and bowed to their Lord.

"Of course my Lord, he is just outside the door, shall I fetch him?" Malfoy, with his usual boot-licking cowardice, remained bowed before their Lord. Their Lord was never fond of Malfoy, but the Malfoy line was quite affluent and he saw no reason to rid himself of the obnoxious pest. Soon he would have the Black line in the palm of his hand too. He gave Malfoy a simple nod and watched the flea of a man scurry to the door.

A tall, broad man with long wavy black hair and piercing grey eyes stepped into he room. He was clad in some of the finest robes wizards could buy. He stood tall, with a regal gait and every follower in the room immediately knew that Orion Black was their Lord's new favourite, mark or not.

"Lord Black, what an honour." Their Lord stood and gestured to the seat on his right. "Please come, have a seat." Malfoy nearly commented about their Lord giving away his seat, but knew better than to go against his master.

"You wished to speak with me about a prophecy concerning my family." The Dark Lord chuckled, true mirth swimming in his red eyes. He liked the lack of fear in the man's eyes. This was a man he wanted on his side because this was a man he knew would serve well.

"Straight to the point, I see. Yes Lord Black, I have many plans and I need you to ensure all goes properly, you see." Orion Black watched the Dark Lord, his eyes calculating. "Your son, Regulus must marry the daughter of Abraxas Malfoy." Abraxas stood, outrage clear on his usually submissive face.

"But my Lord..." He began, but smoothly sat back down as their Lord shot him a scathing glare.

"The prophecy states that the joining of Malfoy and Black will produce a powerful heir that will be connected to the eldest child of the Swan, which I assume is Cygnus Black's eldest. Narcissa Black is betrothed to Lucius Malfoy, the prophecy will be completed." Orion Black explained, his interest in the conversation waning.

"Narcissa and Lucius will form a bridge between the two lines; however, it is not the correct bridge. The prophecy requires the joining of the Black and Malfoy lines through the marriage of their Lords' eldest children, you are the Lord of the Noble and Ancient House of Black." Their Lord shifted his eyes down the table stopping on Cygnus Black. "Tell us about young Bellatrix." While Cygnus Black wasn't a snivelling coward like Malfoy, he was still far too cautious for their Lord's tastes. He was an advanced warrior; however, and their Lord was more than accepting of his few shortcomings. Being that Cygnus was not the head of Black, but simply a mere member their Lord had to go the extra mile to recruit Orion Black.

"Bellatrix is 14 now, she shows great potential. Her magic manifested on the day of her birth and she was casting spells before she could complete sentences." Cygnus spoke with pride of his eldest whom had also received the approval of their Lord.

"I see." Orion Black nodded. He rose stretching his hand out toward their Lord, a gesture none had attempted before him. "I will see to it that the marriage contract is written up and Malfoy will be left to finalise it." Their Lord's smile seemed to grow brighter as he shook Orion Black's hand, he could see the pieces falling into place little by little. He would rule the world, all that was left to do was wait.

 _1972_

 _I have been at Hogwarts for two weeks now. My brother graduated last year, which is a relief, but his friend Lucius Malfoy is still here. Malfoy is a sixth year, which means that sadly I will be left to deal with him for another two years. His sister Josephine is much nicer than him, which makes me wonder what she sees in my brother, Regulus. Regulus and Malfoy were so terrible to me when I was younger and it would be nice if the two would disappear. I met three boys, they're third years. James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, the three of them are completely horrid. I met a second year named Severus Snape, while he was a bit closed off he was very polite and after watching Potter bully him, I am convinced that Gryffindors are worse than Slytherins. I was sorted into Gryffindor. My brother made me think that Slytherins were terrible, but after meeting Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin, I realise that Gryffindors are no better. Severus and I have become friends, I hope, I really enjoy his company and he is quite helpful when I have trouble with my studies._

 _I also found out that Severus fancies a mudblood girl by the name of Lily Evans, though Severus said I shouldn't call her or anyone a mudblood. She is bloody brilliant and when Severus isn't around to help me with assignments I turn to her without hesitation. Lucius and my parents are both disgusted with my sorting and my choice of friends, but Josephine thinks it is wonderful that I am expanding my horizons._

 _Sirius_

 _1975_

 _Regulus married Josephine this summer. I was far from excited, but I still smiled and congratulated my brother regardless. I told Josephine later that day, before she and my brother left for their honeymoon, that she deserved better. She told me that she thought the crush I had on her was cute, but my jealousy needed to end and suddenly I felt like a little boy again being reprimanded by my mother. She was beautiful in her gown, but it was hard to celebrate when all I wanted to do was sulk._

 _I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts._

 _Sirius_

 _1977_

 _I joined the Dark Lord today. My mother told me I needed to be more like my brother and this is what I think she meant. When I returned home for the night my father rested his hand on my shoulder with so much pride in his eyes, something I have only seen directed at Regulus. My mother hugged me, it was an actual hug, not one of her usual hugs in which she harmed me without anyone noticing. For the first time I feel like I belong in my family, but at the same time I have never felt so alone._

 _Sirius_

 _1979_

 _I killed my brother today. I was attempting to sabotage their Lord by destroying his precious locket, but Regulus stopped me. He took the locket from me and I shot a stupify at him. I didn't mean to kill him, but he fell into the water and the inferi dragged him to the bottom with the locket secured in his breast pocket. I lost my chance to end the Dark Lord and I lost my brother, but if he were to survive he would have killed me. Soon the Dark Lord will learn of my treachery, or worse Bellatrix will find out. This will most certainly be the last time that I write._

 _Sirius_

 _1980_

An auror stood over the bound figure of Sirius Black, the prisoner sat silently his eyes staring blankly at the face of his captor. His arms aches as his body rested on them. His back was surely bruised from the rough treatment dealt to him and his outrage over the act was immense.

"You are being arrested for the murder of James and Lily Potter." His eyes widened in confusion and anger. Sirius began struggling against his bindings.

"I did no such thing!" He shrieked, his eyes shifting frantically from the auror to the port key in his hand. He was going to Azkaban for murder, a murder he didn't commit. He would rot for the rest of his life in a prison cell that he didn't belong in.

As the auror lifted his bound form his eyes connected with an almost black pair that watched him from the shadows, long unruly curls peeked into the light before the figure vanished with a mad cackle and a pop. He sighed, he would spend the rest of his life in a cell, but at least that cell would be almost a luxury compared to what Bellatrix would have done to him.

 _1965_

Regulus Black walked warily toward the Slytherin house table. He wasn't afraid, but his cousin sat at the head of the table, even as just a third year, and he was uncertain if she would allow him to sit near her. As he sat near the end, farthest from his cousin, he heard her scoff. He looked up into the nearly black eyes that she inherited from her Rosier blood and grinned when he saw her wave him toward her. She pushed a seventh year boy from his place at her right and gestured for Regulus to take it.

"Cousin! What made you think to go sit all the way down there?" She stared calculatingly at her younger cousin and she felt a since of pride when he met her eyes with almost the same intensity.

"I was awaiting your permission to join you, dearest cousin." He smirked and she laughed.

"Regulus meet the others." He didn't retain many of their names, but he happily shook everyone's hands and inquired about their thoughts on Hogwarts. He received advice from many of his fellow Slytherins and something deep inside of him felt at home. His younger brother was just a toddler and his parents were often busy, which left him to his own devices more often than not. Bella was his only entertainment until she left for Hogwarts and finally being reunited with her left him feeling warm and much happier than he's ever been.

"Regulus is my favourite cousin and I expect everyone here to do everything in their power to ensure he learns to be a true Slytherin, can't have him disgracing the family, can we?" Bella and Regulus laughed with the whole of Slytherin as McGonagall and Dumbledore watched on disdainfully. Regulus' eyes traveled down the table of green and found his other cousin Andromeda, though she seemed less merry than the rest of Slytherin.

"Bella, what's wrong with your sister?" He whispered to the dark haired witch. She spared her sister a short glance before looking back into bright grey eyes.

"She's always like that. Quiet and alone. I nearly crucio'ed her last school year, she was speaking with some mudblood in Hufflepuff. She's a filthy disgrace and she fears that I will tell mother and father." She whispered low enough to avoid eavesdroppers. Regulus looked taken aback, he nearly glared at Andromeda, but Bella grabbed his chin before he could point his fiery ire at the curly haired brunette. "You won't show any indication that you know." Bella ordered.

"You aren't going to tell on her?" He saw the conflict in Bella's eyes as she fought herself. She had to make a very important decision, one he didn't want to ever have to make. Would she protect her family values or protect her traitorous sister. He knew if Sirius were to become a blood traitor as Andromeda was turning out to be, he wouldn't choose Sirius. Traitors were worse than mudbloods and he would waste no time snuffing them out.

"No, not yet. Should her behaviour become worse then my parents will be protecting her from my wrath. Their wands will not have the opportunity to fire a crucio at her because mine will have shot an avada kedavra without hesitation." She winked at her cousin, another boisterous laugh finding its way into the air.

 _1975_

Bellatrix smiled at her favourite cousin as he danced with his new bride. Though she wasn't very fond of Josephine, the cowardice prude was just as irritating as her younger brother, she was still pleased with seeing Regulus' happiness.

Her parents never arranged a marriage for her, so she was still happily single. Of course she had the occasional fling here and there, she had needs, but she was far happier without any commitment. Their Lord never seemed displeased with her lack of husband either.

Regulus' wedding was a grand affair, their Lord appeared in person to celebrate the occasion. Their Lord never showed very much interest in the affairs of his followers and often just sent his congratulations by word, rather than presenting them in person. He sat on a throne near the front of the ballroom watching the newlywed couple lead a waltz.

Bellatrix' eyes flickered around the room, taking in the varying expressions. Sirius' sulking form caught her attention, he sat in the darkest corner of the ballroom watching Josephine twirl around the floor on Regulus' arm. His jealousy was nearly palpable, his grey eyes were hate filled and Bellatrix found herself angry with him. She felt an uneasiness build in the pit of her stomach and made her way onto the dance floor. She quickly excused Regulus from his dance and lead him out into the hall.

"Bella, what is all of this about?" His voice was filled with confusion. Bellatrix checked the halls for any life before turning back to her cousin.

"Listen Regulus, you mustn't trust Sirius." She whispered conspiringly.

"What?" Regulus looked somewhat irritated, but amusement danced across his face as well. "You wish for me to be wary of my 14 year old brother?" He rested his hand on the dark witch's shoulder and chuckled.

"I'm serious, Regulus. You mustn't trust Sirius. He will stab you in the back, his loyalty lies." Regulus nearly struck the woman for being so absurd.

"How dare you? I will not have you tainting my wedding day with your conspiracy theories. Leave Bella, don't return here until you have seen your own ludicrousness!" Bellatrix' eyes grew steely. The nearly black depths spit fire at her oblivious younger cousin.

"Fine then Regulus, but when you see with your own eyes the treachery your brother will commit, it will be too late for you to heed my warning." She turned with a huff, leaving without sparing the foolish man another glance and she never returned.

 _1978_

Regulus stood next to his newborn's crib and watched her sleep. She was so small and that frightened him. He knew nothing about children, having never spent anytime with his brother when he was small and never being near any other infants. It was alarming to him how delicate his little Hermione was and he knew nothing about being gentle. He was a Black, they were known for their abrasiveness.

Her eyes slowly opened and they quickly glanced up at the locket resting temporarily around his neck. She reached her small pudgy hand out, her eyes conveying her desire. Regulus chuckled quietly and unfastened the hook on the locket's chain before resting the horcrux in the infant's hand. A shadow filled her eyes and for a moment Regulus was no longer staring into the eyes of his daughter, but into the eyes of being far older and familiar to him. He thought little of it, assuming it was just an effect of touching the horcrux.

He slowly slipped the locket from the child's hand. With a quick brush of lips to her forehead he was off to the cave that would house this portion of his Lord's soul.

 _1979_

Regulus ran as fast as he could. His feet carried him deep into the cave where Sirius was attempting to sabotage their Lord. "Sirius, what are you doing? This is treason!" Regulus yelled as he came upon his brother holding the locket that contained a portion of their Lord's soul.

"Regulus, why can't you see that the Dark Lord is the enemy?" Sirius yelled angrily. He had yet to draw his wand; hoping his brother wouldn't draw his own. Regulus finally understood how Bella felt during his first year when he asked her about Andromeda. He finally understood the conflicted look in her eyes as he was placed in the very same position. Would he protect his Lord or protect his traitorous brother? The difference between himself and Bella is that he was faced with the question many years after Bella and had made his decision long ago. He drew his wand without hesitation and Sirius followed.

A battle ensued that led to Regulus' wand being lost and him being forced to resort to using muggle tactics. He wrestled Sirius for the locket and pulled it from his grasp, as he was standing he was hit with a spell that threw him into the water and as he was being grabbed and pulled under the surface he remembered something Bella said to him the night of his wedding.

 _"Fine then Regulus, but when you see with your own eyes the treachery your brother will commit, it will be too late for you to heed my warning."_

His lungs tried to expand, but liquid filled them and darkness blurred his vision. His life and the life of his family flashed before his eyes. In his final moments he thought of his daughter, she would never know him. Knowing his wife, as much as he loved her she was a hopeless fool, she would teach their daughter to be kind to others and appreciate those that weren't like her. Bella would surely watch after his precious child, or she would resent the girl for being his. After the way he treated her that night he would be surprised if she didn't smother the child in her sleep.

His last thought was reserved for Bella. He could almost see her dark curls in front of him, flowing through the murky water. Her nearly black eyes watching him with a smirk and her usual smugness.

 _She was right._

 _l..l_

 _I'm going to be going through and editing this story again. I probably won't change much, but I will try to do better at elaborating on certain things because I have been told that there is a lot of confusing areas._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Edited_**

Hermione's first few weeks at Hogwarts were uneventful. She found herself bored, more often than not, with her classes and her dorm mates. She was sitting in an armchair in the Slytherin commons, reading another obnoxiously long letter from her mother, who was apparently worried beyond belief at Hermione's lack of communication. The blonde scoffed as she dipped her quill in the ink pot on the small side table near her chair. She scribbled out a short response before rolling her letter and elegantly tying a ribbon around it. She need someone to deliver the letter to the owlery, conveniently, she caught sight of twin mops of red fidgeting in her peripheral.

"Why do the two of you find it necessary to hover?" The red headed nuisances made it into Slytherin somehow and Hermione wanted nothing more than to strangle them each and every time they came near her. Their favourite pastime seemed to be pestering her every chance they got. They always wanted to carry her tomes or fetch her quills, bring her a goblet of pumpkin juice or tie back her hair before flying practices. Her patience was wearing thinner with them, but regardless of how many times she insulted their family, their hair, and their poverty, they never seemed to get the hint. They were irritating, but they were also useful.

"We just want to-" One started.

"-make sure you're comfortable." The other finished.

She grit her teeth and massaged her temples. One hand from each twin took the position of both of hers, rubbing in circles and fluffing sofa pillows with their other hands. She tried to keep them as busy as she possibly could. They never did anything alone, so if she ordered one away they would both go scuttling off together. She waved the rolled up parchment in front of them, there was no verbal command needed for them to take it from her and scurry off to the owlery. She smirked as the common room entrance closed and she was once again immersed in silence. She found that her favourite thing about life before Hogwarts was that she had ample time to delve into her mind and simply enjoy being alone. Here at Hogwarts the populous, regardless of their house or year, was far more interested in her than even she was. She opened the tome she had been neglecting for days and finally began reading the last chapter.

"Hello Hermione." She had to resist the urge to hex the foolish interloper. Her temper was nearly at its peak and person after person felt it necessary to test her. She prayed, to whichever deity would listen, for enough patience to finish the night.

"What is it Greengrass? I'm quite sure you can see how busy I am." The pure irritation in Hermione's tone made the other blonde squirm as grey eyes fell upon her. It wasn't that Hermione hated the girl, but these past few weeks had been nothing but annoyances and the Black house heir had little tolerance for it. Most of the interruptions were just to waste her time with meaningless banter. It seemed that all of her classmates were simpleminded and if she didn't speak slowly they wouldn't be able to keep up. If she wasn't speaking about pureblood supremacy or how many new robes her mother and aunt had gotten for her, they wouldn't be able to understand a single word she said.

"What are you reading?" The Greengrass heir stared intently at Hermione, true interest shone in her dark blue eyes. She wasn't interested in the text really, but she was interested in listening to Hermione's voice.

"Everyday Charms: The Dark Arts Edition, Volume 4." She turned her attention back to page 1134, which gave an extensive explanation of the pros and cons to cooking with dark magic. Hermione scoffed, she couldn't imagine someone like her Aunt Cissy wasting the energy to make breakfast, magic or no, cooking spells were for elves.

"That's really interesting, would you be willing-"

"Haven't you anything else to do?" Hermione cut the other blonde off without even sparing her a second glance. She was rereading the same sentence for the fifth time in twice as many minutes.

"Oh yeah, Adrian wanted me to-"

"Don't tell me, just do it." Hermione dismissed the Greengrass girl with the wave of her hand before returning to the theory of cooking in magically crafted pots vs. muggle-crafted pots. She saw no difference other than having to take a short trip to muggle London for a new pot when they could simply get one in Diagon Alley. Getting the pots from Diagon Alley was far more convenient than sullying one's robes to travel through muggle crowds.

"Black, what d'you got there?" The Black house heir huffed irritably and glanced up. She glared at the halfblood Bulstrode girl as she sauntered in and took a seat near Hermione's chair. "I've never seen that one before. Where'd you find it?" She had finally had it, she drew her wand and with a wordless wave the tall brunette was running for the medical wing with a face covered in warts and trail of slugs being left behind each time she opened her mouth. She smiled softly as she returned, happily, to her reading.

 ** _Azkaban_**

A frail emaciated figure rocked back and forth in a small cell. The stone walls had claw like indentions from the woman's fits of rage, and blood stains covered the floors from the woman's despair. She whispered to herself as her thin fingers rubbed together in an attempt to create some form of heat. Her body looked like bones covered in tight leathery flesh; hallow face with sunken eyes and black rotting teeth. Her long tresses were once pristine, but years of mistreatment had turned them to dull matted locks. She could hear foot steps nearing her cell, each step excited her, she hardly received visitors. If she had known someone would be dropping by she would have tidied up.

"Hey 93! How's the gruel?" They liked to check on her twice a year, each time with hope that her spirit had been broken or she had finally died. She never let them win though, she would never be broken, especially not by the cowardice scum that ran this place.

"Delectable, absolutely scrumptious!" The dark witch rose quickly to her feet, her hands wrapping around the bars of her cell. Her tongue hung from her mouth like a feral animal as she gave the warden a deranged grin. "You should have told me you were coming, I would have whipped something up for you." She threw her empty food bowl at the bars before spitting at the warden's feet. The man looked scandalised as he stepped away from the cell just to have another pair of hands attempt to grab him from behind. "Keep your hands to yourself Lestrange! He's mine." Bellatrix hissed at the dirty man who was chained to the wall in the cell across from hers. The man sneered at her, but he released the warden as she commanded. "Do tell the good news, 'ittle baby warden. You only come up here when the family sends a message, do tell." She licked her dry lips, their usual red was now a dull pink.

"The girl, Regulus's child. She was sorted into Slytherin." Sorrow passed through the witches eyes, but was gone so quickly the warden didn't notice. She missed her darling little Hermione, she knew the girl wasn't the young child she remembered anymore, but imaging her as anything older than the three year old she left behind made her realise just how long the two of them had been apart.

"Splendid!" She clapped her hands and cackled wildly before her face was stone again, she stared the man down, her nearly black eyes boring into him. "Have you been sending my death threats down the hall to my cousin? He mustn't be surprised when I get out of here and he wakes up dead." She knew the man was, he was a friend of the filthy Potter's mudblood, as much as he hated Bellatrix, he hated Sirius more and would take advantage of every opportunity to make the dark haired man squirm. The warden looked absolutely terrified as he scurried out of the maximum security wing. Bellatrix didn't understand why the man always swaggered in when he knew he would be wetting his trousers as he left. Some people never learned, a lesson could only be taught so many times before the teacher became irritated and the student was given red knuckles.

The warden didn't fear Sirius as he did the dark witch. The quivering child that Bellatrix reduced him to was easily forgotten when he made it to Sirius Black's cell. He pushed a piece of moulded and soggy bread between the bars and laughed as the thin man crawled from the shadows to retrieve it. Sirius didn't even acknowledge the warden as he hastily devoured the blue, green, and white haired lump. The dark haired man watched as his water bowl was filled with a strong scented yellow liquid. As the warden finished he stuffed himself back into his trousers and smiled wickedly at the man.

"Drink up Black, we can't have you die of dehydration. You've got many years of suffering left." Sirius crawled back into his dark corner and waited, he would drink, but not while the man watched. He couldn't bear the additional ridicule. The warden knew that the grey eyed man would drink what he was given because the bowl was always empty upon his return each day. He eventually grew impatient and left the dirty man to continue rotting as he would for the rest of his life.

 ** _Malfoy Manor_**

Josephine Black paced, her eyes planted firmly to the drawing room's floor. She was a worried mess, she had always been and her daughter wasn't helping matters. She read over the letter that she received again and again. Perhaps the girl was busy, she reassured herself. Or her sweet child was ill and the school was withholding that information from her. Her breathing grew shallow as her eyes skimmed the letter once again.

 _I'm fine mother, stop hassling me._

 _Hermione Black_

She hated when the girl brushed her off. It wasn't like she was a needy woman, she just required reassurance now and again. She couldn't help that she "hassled" her child, Hermione was away from home for the first time. It was different when Hermione spent a few months here and there at Malfoy Manor or with the Malfoys in one of their many vacation homes, Josephine could easily apparate or floo to any of those locations. Hogwarts was a guarded sanctuary and without approval from the headmaster she wouldn't be allowed in when ever she pleased. Who would ensure Hermione was eating properly? Dressing warm enough for the cold season? Keeping up with her studies? Who would protect her fragile angel if not herself?

"She is fine Josephine." Lucius watched his sister drive herself nearly mad over Hermione. The eldest had far too much free time on her hands, if she were engaged in some sort of activity she wouldn't be nearly as stressed. Lucius tried to attach his sister to his wife's hip, but pulling her from his side grew harder and harder. Narcissa was an event planner, she worked with the most prestigious of wizards and witches to plan anything from immaculate weddings to small family gatherings. The cold woman often invited her bothersome sister-in-law, on the request of her husband of course, but Josephine never seemed to be interested in anything other than tearing her hair out over insignificant things. Regulus' death took a greater toll on her than anyone originally thought. She would go for days without sleeping a single minute because she feared that she would wake to the death of another loved one.

"How do you know Lucius? The other children could be bullying her." Her fingers threaded themselves into her long blonde tresses. "She could never tolerate being around any children other than Draco." She yanked viciously at her hair. "She must be miserable." Tears welled in her bright blue eyes as she fell to her knees. Lucius rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms. He never knew how to calm her, he feared that one day she would harm herself irreversibly and he would be left to just watch as it happened. Regulus was exactly what Josephine needed, from the moment they met at Hogwarts, he had been her stability. Though he had his adulterous faults, he was a good man where his family, friends, and their Lord were concerned. Everything Josephine did revolved around her deceased husband and suddenly the world felt like it was no longer turning because she was alone.

"She will be alright, I promise." He whispered as his sister sobbed in his arms. He rocked her as if he was consoling an infant. His sister was the only living person in the world that knew the true Lucius, Regulus was the only other. Narcissa and Draco didn't even know of the kindness that the Lord of the Manor contained. His violent rage for his father was often taken out on his wife and son. His mind was slipping from him, even this early in life, his eyes held the same lost glances and defensive anger that Narcissa often saw from her eldest sister. His episodes were short, but an hour of crazed fury could beat his wife and kill their first born child before she was old enough to wean.

 ** _Hogwarts_**

The chamber of secrets is a exactly as the name would have you believe. A chamber that only one person, besides Salazar Slytherin himself, could ever open. There are many myths pertaining to the chamber and what could be in it, anything from untold riches guarded by beasts that lurk only in nightmares to the resting place of all the truths left unsaid by the Founders themselves.

Hermione scoffed and quietly closed the text. She wasn't a descendant of Slytherin, but if their Lord, halfblood and all, could get in she could too. Firstly, she needed to pinpoint all the possible places that the entrance could be. Then she needed to figure out how to get in. There were hundreds of secret passages and it could take her weeks to check them all, but she really didn't have anything better to do. With all of the assignments that Snape and McGonagall gave out she thought she would be busy for at least the rest of the week. When all of her assignments were complete within the first 48 hours, she was more than just a little disappointed.

Hermione watched the sun set through the lake. The water turned it into a shapeless glowing mass as it slowly sank below the horizon. A chestnut complected boy caught her attention as he made his way from the boy's dormitory toward the exit. He subtly glanced into each of the dark corners of the commons as he passed. A smirk slowly curled the corner of her mouth as she stood and quickly caught up to the sixth year Prefect.

"Zabini, mind if I walk with you?" He watched her with a cold and unyielding mask of indifference. Brys Zabini was the eldest of three and the most Slytherin as well. He saw through every plot before it began and avoided confrontation simply because he was one of the few intelligent snakes in the dungeon. He could tell that she was up to something, but Hermione would make sure he never found out what exactly. She wasn't one of the lesser purebloods, the sorts that Zabini read like an open book, she was the heir of the most Noble and Ancient House of Black.

"Curfew." His Italian accent was thick and she noticed even with his one worded reply. She smiled up at the boy and turned on the charm that had been bred into every Black since the beginning of time. At twelve, she was nothing of interest to any boy, but to a pureblood boy, her name alone could send any of them into a lovestruck trance.

"I know." Any boy would be elated to find themselves at the centre of Hermione's attention, but Zabini remained as uninterested as he always was. She grew irritated the longer he stared into her eyes. He wasn't much for talking, neither was his younger brother, who spent all of his time at the Malfoy Manor with Draco. Something flickered through his eyes before he dipped his head minutely and continued walking. She didn't expect the boy to kneel and kiss her boot, but he could have at least spoken. Hermione nearly ran into the Italian boy as he stopped abruptly. He glanced over his shoulder at her, a quiet fire burning in his eyes.

"I know what you desire most." He whispered to her in the darkness. His hand reached into his robe and he pulled out a tome. The cover was made of leather and was obviously ancient, but its binding was of magical origin. The title was in Latin, _Infinitae Cognitionis_. "Everything you wish to know lives within its pages." She took the tome from his hand and caressed the spine, her mind working to translate the title.

"Infinite knowledge." She whispered. He nodded slowly his dark eyes watching her closely. "I assume this isn't free." Her expression steeled as he slowly shook his head.

His hand took her free one gently. His fingers traced over her veins before stoping at her wrist. His index finger pressed firmly into her skin and his mouth fell open as soft almost musical Latin phrases crossed his lips. She couldn't decipher their meaning, but she could feel the strength of the spell. He slide his finger down her wrist until their hands met and as their hands touched a red thread of magic wove around them before breaking in two and fastening around their necks. As the magic dimmed and solidified it fell heavily against her chest. A black and dark purple crest hung from the chain; the Zabini crest.

"What exactly have I agreed to?" He chuckled as he began walking again.

"I will come to collect in four years time. I have given you what you desire most and soon you will return the favour." Hermione pondered that statement for many nights after that. Brys transferred to Durnstrang for some mysterious reason not even a week later. The eldest Zabini's transfer wouldn't be so odd if it weren't for his younger brother sitting next to her on the way to Hogwarts the following year. She was so focused on the eldest Zabini that by the time the year ended she had only checked half of the places on her list.

l..l

"Hermione, try to write a little more often and take care of your cousin, dear." Hermione stood stoically as her mother fussed over her; dusting away nonexistent lint and grooming her already perfect hair. Her cousin and she made eye contact as it seemed their mothers' actions mirrored each other, the only difference being the cold of Narcissa's expression and the warmth of Josephine's.

"Mother, Draco knows how to take care of himself. I would like to get on the train now." She brushed her mother off coolly and motioned for Diffy, their house elf, to load her luggage onto the train. Her mother watched bravely as her daughter once again left the safety of her arms for Hogwarts.

Draco caught up to his older cousin as she stepped onto the magical red machine. His eyes were alight with excitement, though he tried his best to remain as stone faced as his cousin. Hermione walk briskly, an innate confidence in her gait. Her nose was upturned as she held her head high and sneered down at each of the new additions to Hogwarts. Her cousin followed her lead, glaring at those that Hermione considered the "filthy sort." She prided herself on the influence she had on the young boy. If he ever wished to go anywhere in pureblood society, Hermione was a perfect example to follow, or so her aunt always said.

They found an empty compartment near the back of the train and took their seats.

"Do you think I'll be sorted into Slytherin?" Draco was always an insecure child, he stared nervously at his cousin. His need for reassurance was disgusting and Hermione made sure to tell him. She took note of the dejection that passed through his eyes and smirked.

"No Malfoy has ever been sorted anywhere else, are you a Malfoy?" His expression brightened and they fell into a comfortable silence. Hermione was fond of the boy, he was smarter than he looked and quite resilient when the need arose. With more practise, he could one day be a great wizard and a perfect pureblood man.

Their car door slid open and revealed a fairly tall boy with chestnut skin and a very familiar pair of dark brown eyes. His dark hair was longer than his brother's, curlier as well, but the resemblance was obvious. The brother's didn't share a father, but they could be twins, the only difference being the shape of their noses and the texture of their hair.

"Blaise Zabini." Hermione greeted.

"Hermione Black."' He replied, their eyes locked for a long moment. The necklace began to heat and almost vibrate against her skin, the longer she stared. "My brother sends his regards." He spoke in nearly a whisper, the same darkness she had see in his brother's eyes swirling in the brown depths. She felt pressure in her chest, almost like she was suffocating. Her breaths grew shallow and her vision began to blur around the edges.

"Zabini have a seat." Draco smirked at his friend, mischief dancing in the grey orbs. Suddenly the pressure was gone and she gasped softly, ignoring her cousin's chuckle. Blaise forwent the spot near Draco and took the one near Hermione. Every so often she would catch his gaze as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She sat silently, zoning in and out of a conversation the two first years were having.

Eventually Daphne Greengrass wondered in, her blue eyes lit the moment she saw Hermione. She nudged Blaise out of her way and claimed the seat next to the Black House heir.

"How was your holiday, Hermione? Did you do anything special?" She had directed all of her attention to the other girl; her hands crossed in her lap and an excited smile on her face. Hermione had nearly forgotten the girl's existence over the summer.

Their trip continued just as uneventfully, Daphne talked Hermione to sleep while Draco and Blaise argued about quidditch.

The week was dull, that is until Hermione found the Potter boy alone with the youngest male Weasley near the lake. She couldn't help the malicious thoughts that filled her head. The twins had chosen to tag along on her little walk and she thought now would be the perfect time to test their loyalty. The little Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, just like all of the Weasleys before him, excluding the twins of course. Their relation to the loud mouth twerp wouldn't save him from her sharp tongue.

"Are you love birds enjoying yourselves?" The "Chose One" seemed distressed and his red headed pal was nearly as frazzled. Potter's poorly made robes hung off of his thin frame and his hair was a mess that she couldn't begin to comprehend. The little Weasley wore hand-me-down robes, similar to the twins, though his were adorned with the red and gold of Griffindor rather than the mighty green and silver of Slytherin.

"Leave us alone Black." Potter whispered. He looked exhausted, but his sullen expression only made Hermione hungrier for his suffering.

"And why should she?" George laughed as Fred pushed an angry Ronald Weasley to the ground.

"She doesn't have to listen to a dirty halfblood." Fred grabbed Potter by the back of his collar and dragged him to the edge of the lake. With a swift push the green eyed boy was soaked through and resembled a drowned cat.

"Hey! Get away from him or I'll tell mum!" The little Weasley tried to get around George, but his brother was much stronger than him after spending the previous school year playing lackey for Hermione.

"Keep your blood traitor mouth shut!" Fred yelled.

"You shouldn't be making friends with filth." George sneered as he dragged his younger brother to the water's edge as well. He dropped him into the deepest part and laughed as his head broke the surface. The little Weasley sputtered and wheezed as he tried to paddle back to shore and keep his hair out of his face.

Hermione didn't need to say a word, the twins were her loyal servants and she would treat them as such from now on. She loved the melancholy expression on the two first years' faces, there was nothing worse than being betrayed by your flesh and blood.

"Good job boys." The red heads beamed at the praise and followed after her like loyal dogs.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Edited_**

Hermione was furious. She grabbed Blaise Zabini by his collar and pushed him against the corridor wall. Brys disappeared without a trace and the entirety of the text that he gifted to her was in Latin, which she had yet to master. She had spent over a week working on translating the first page and was only three sentences in. The middle Zabini cowered only slightly, something Hermione would take time to be impressed with when she wasn't so enraged. Her blonde curls danced around her shoulders and ears as her magic laced through the air like static.

"Where is Brys?" She snarled, teeth bared and eyes dark. The eldest Zabini had a red target on his back. How was she to gain the forbidden knowledge of the past when the tome was written in a dead language. The Zabini family was the last bloodline that spoke Latin. They were an ancient South American line that dabbled in voodoo which led them to flee their homeland from fear of muggle witch hunters. Brys failed to mention that she would require his help to decipher the text. The moment she found out where he was, he would wake with his head mounted on her bedroom wall.

"Durnstrang." The middle Zabini calmly stated. The fire in her stomach burned bright, her fury grew louder. The first year boy would suffer too if he kept stalling her.

"Stop lying to me or your mother might just find herself lacking a child." She sneered, she pressed her wand to young Slytherin's throat and smirked as he began to whimper. Suddenly she froze, she could hear foot stops approaching, but it seemed the boy was oblivious. A quick whisper of words and a small Black family crest was burned into the base of the first year boy's neck. The middle Zabini finally broke and a tear escaped from his eye. She knew his type, tough on the outside, but soft and fragile on the inside. He swiped the droplet away quickly before attempting to steel his expression.

"I don't know what price I will be paying to your brother, but you tell him that I never signed up for his riddles." Befuddlement coloured the first year's expression before an amused smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"You don't understand-" She cut him off swiftly. She listened carefully as the footsteps grew louder, her body tensing.

"I understand plenty well. I'll be seeing you around Zabini." She turned quickly and marched off, her robes billowing behind her. She left swiftly, hoping to avoid whoever was coming their way.

"She's a bit dramatic." He whispered to himself. Though he was still a bit shaken over the encounter, he didn't let it show. His face was stone, but his eyes were filled with emotion.

"Kind of like Severus." Blaise nearly jumped out of his skin when Draco suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The middle Zabini scolded himself, his brother would be disgusted at his lack of awareness. He was caught with his guard down once again, first by the Black house heir and second by the Malfoy house heir.

"Does he really storm off like that?" Blaise leaned against the well nonchalantly, hoping Draco didn't see his shaking legs.

"Yeah, all of the time. Mother says it's because he's bad at arguing. I just think he's bad at arguing with her." The boys shared a laugh before going their separate ways. Draco was off to the library to finish a few assignments and Blaise was off to the owlery to mail a letter.

 _Malfoy Manor_

Lady Malfoy was sitting in her estate's library. She was hoping for a night of light reading and champagne, but it seemed her night wouldn't be so simple. Narcissa stared irritably at the letter in her hand. She had hoped her niece would be smarter than to get involved with the Zabinis. She wanted to be angry, but she knew it was her own fault. Josephine wouldn't warn the child about the dark magic the Zabinis dabbled in and it wasn't Narcissa's place to warn Hermione herself. Now that it seemed her niece was in danger she had no choice but to intervene.

 _Dear Aunt Cissy,_

 _I accepted a gift from Brys Zabini, which in hindsight was an extremely poor choice on my part. Apparently it wasn't a gift, but a trade and now he has disappeared. I haven't the slightest clue what exactly he may want. I was hoping you could help me with the tome he has gifted me._

 _Hermione Black_

Narcissa was never the type to make unladylike sounds, but she couldn't help scoffing at the situation. She folded the parchment and unfolded it to read it again. Her pattern continued until she finally couldn't take it anymore. She had every intention to burn the letter, but it was easily snagged from her hand before the flames could touch it. Lucius stared blankly at her before swiftly reading over the elegant script.

"Were you planning to tell me about this, Narcissa?" Her eyes widen minutely, but she gave no reply; it was answer enough for him. His hand clench around the parchment as he glared down at her. Her body hit the hardwood floor before she could think of an excuse. Her cheek stung and the back of her husband's hand was as red as she imagined her face was. "I am your husband, there is nothing in this world that you can hide from me." He whispered, his blue eyes glazing briefly with insanity. He drew a ragged breath and blinked slowly before his eyes regained their usual lucidity. "There is nothing we can do until the Zabini heir makes his demand. Tell her to ignore the situation until then." He turned without another word and left the library.

She stood slowly, a scowl on her face, and reached for her wand. With the flick of her wrist her cheek was covered, leaving no trace of the earlier abuse. Every Malfoy heir was raised to marry a woman of prestige and continue their bloodline, but one thing the world never saw was the mental destruction that created monsters like Lucius. Each child was beaten and torn apart emotionally until all that was left was cold, calculated wizards with cruel and prejudice views. They were taught to be superior witches and wizards and felt no remorse when striking inferiors down. As a Black, Narcissa had been taught to be twice as cruel and thrice as superior, but her eldest sister took the brunt of their torture and Lucius being a male received a similar treatment. When the man fell apart, when he cried and screamed, she saw Bellatrix. Bellatrix was her personal knight in shining armour when they were children and her love for her sister never died. The imprisonment of her eldest sister was devastating and Lucius was filling the temporary void. One day Lucius would beg at her feet, bloodied and dirty, he would pray that she would show mercy and when the time came, she would not, but for now she would imagine he was Bella when his fist struck her and try to put his pieces back together the best she could.

 _Black Manor_

The portrait of Cygnus Black watched Josephine Black pace the library. His expression was one of boredom, though his eyes held curiosity. He was less curious of what had her so distressed and more so interested in why she was in his manor.

"It is quite the pleasure to see you, my dear. Please excuse my brashness, but why exactly are you here?" Cygnus wasn't opposed to seeing his older cousin's daughter-in-law, but the two had only been in each other's company twice prior to his death and he imagined there were others that she would rather spend her day with.

"I've been at my brother's Manor for days now and I don't wish to impose on him any further. I can't be at 12 Grimmauld Place right now, the house is too empty without Hermione. Walburga, rest her soul, isn't the best companion, in life or death." Cygnus chuckled as he disappeared from his frame. He returned quickly and the empty frame beside him soon contained the image of Druella Black nee Rosier. Her eyes were nearly black abysses that resembled the deepest and darkest pits of hell, the very same eyes that Bellatrix inherited. Her dark hair, however, was inherited from her father.

"Druella knows all about the insufferable wretch." Druella's expression was far livelier than her husband's. She smiled politely as her husband introduced her to the conversation.

"Oh yes, it's hard forgetting her! The woman was always talking about herself." Druella gesticulated as dramatically as Regulus use to. Josephine watched her hands move and could almost see Regulus in them. "When Regulus was a babe, Walburga invited Bellatrix over for play dates, though Regulus could barely lift his head and Bella was already toddling, she still found Regulus to be the most intriguing creature she ever laid eyes upon."

"Little Bella was jealous when Regulus began walking and speaking, he latched himself onto Druella and didn't let go until the time he left for Hogwarts." A dreamy haze filled his eyes as he remembered life before true evil had tarnished their homes. Though Josephine imagined he considered the source of their suffering to be the messiah that would lead the purebloods to victory.

"It's quite a shame Cygnus and Orion never got on well enough to become as close as Bella and Regulus." Druella laughed at the scowl her husband sported. His eyebrows furrowed as he turned his nose up, he had always been a bit bitter about the less than friendly demeanour of his cousin. Orion was quite the bully when they were growing up and having never attended Hogwarts, Orion wasn't allotted the opportunity to become close with his younger cousin.

"Or like Sirius and Andromeda." Druella's laugh died quickly, her eyes hardening. Sirius was considered a blood traitor, though he had never been openly friendly to the impure, he confessed his support for the light in secret to an Azkaban official. His little secret got back to their Lord and the entirety of the inner circle and their families, within an hour. After that Sirius was swiftly burned off of every family tapestry along with his harlot cousin who spent her time whoring herself out to that mudblood, Tonks.

"We don't speak of those blood traitors in this house." She sneered. The two were more than just a touchy subject, the subject was one of complete abhorrence for Druella. She felt like a failure for many years subsequent to her daughter's disappearance. Then finding out only months after that her daughter bore a halfblood metamorphmagus nearly sent her to an early grave.

"We don't speak of any sort of filth within these walls." Cygnus glared at the blonde woman. Josephine frowned, Sirius had always been a close friend of hers and Andromeda was always distant, but a valued friend nevertheless. Spending summers with her great aunt from America had taught her many things about life. One of the most important things was never to judge people by their progenitors or their blood status. Josephine was far more travelled than her brother and it showed, but her fellow purebloods considered the knowledge she gained across the globe to be useless. She had hoped to teach her daughter to love everyone for who they were and accept all sorts of people, but her sister-in-law made sure to corrupt the girl as early as possible. Filling her young mind with the dastardly feats of Bellatrix Black disguised as hero worshipping epics. Narcissa snatched her baby girl from her before the child could even hold her head up properly.

"Of course, I apologise." The portraits seemed appeased by her abashed expression and they easily fell back into a comfortable conversation. They avoided uncomfortable subjects and were able to enjoy each other's company until Josephine returned to the Malfoy Manor many hours later.

 _1972_

 _You're brother isn't nearly as terrible as you see him. He is a bit rough around the edges, but you must excuse him, his only influence in life has been my mother and Bellatrix. As for Lucius, he wasn't always cruel. Before I met Ted, the two of us were friends, but I fear his father is slowly, but surely corrutping him. He is another victim of pureblood ideals. I know little of the Gryffindor boys that you mentioned, but boys will be boys, as you very well know. Severus Snape seems to have a good head on his shoulders, I'm sure you will find the right path in life with him by your side._

 _Don't be discouraged by the obstacles you face right now, everything in life changes constantly and one day you will find yourself in the same shoes as many of these people. Remember to love people, regardless of where they come from because you will never know when you might need friends._

 _Andromeda_

 _1975_

 _Josephine is a wonderful woman, she and your brother are a perfect match; whether you wish to admit it or not. I hoped to attend, but considering the guest list, it would be an impossibility. You may be unhappy with things as of now, but remember to love your brother, I know he loves you._

 _Hogwarts was like home to me too. I never wanted to leave, but sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone to truly begin living._

 _Andromeda_

 _1977_

 _Please tell me it isn't so. I hoped you would never learn of the evil of this world, but it seems I didn't try hard enough to protect you._

 _Farewell dear cousin_

 _Andromeda_

 _1979_

The brunette pressed a hand to her heart as she read the letter. Tears welled in her eyes as guilt constricted her chest. Andromeda ripped the parchment to shreds, her mind refusing to process what she read. Regulus was dead. Their daughter would never feel his embrace again or get to watch with wonder as he performed magic. Suddenly her world was crashing down upon her and all she could do was watch. Andromeda found hope in Regulus' love, his heart was larger than any she had ever seen. Regulus was a hero, but not because he was the Dark Lord's most loyal, not because of his prowess as a duelist. Regulus was a hero because he could find light in the darkness of his life. He could love without restraint and would sacrifice his life for a lie that would protect her from her own mistakes. Regulus and she had been together for many years, but Josephine was his betrothed. She married Ted Tonks to distance herself from the heartache that seeing Regulus with Josephine would cause.

She stood in her daughter's doorway in the dark. The child's chest rose slowly with each breath she took, her dark curls splayed across her pillow. She was a Black through and through, but Ted would never know that and Eridanus Black would never find out that she isn't really Nymphadora Tonks. Regulus loved their daughter, he took care of her and visited as often as he could. They were a family, though unorthodox.

Her heart ached for the loss of her love and the suffering of her family. Sirius thought he found love when he met Josephine, he thought he found love when he grew close to Andromeda, but it seemed that every woman in his life would only ever have eyes for his brother. His mother always loved Regulus more, his aunt was always interested in his older brother's every thought, his first love became his brother's wife, and his second love became the mother of his brother's heir. It seemed that Sirius was destined for a life of loneliness and pain.

 ** _1991_**

A thin man cowered in one of the darkest corners of the dungeon as a black mist circled around him. He flinched as the mist moved over his skin and a snake like voice whispered in his ear.

"The stone, Quirrell. Where is the stone?" The man held a purple turban in his hands, his fingers worrying the edges as his jaw clenched. He had yet to complete his task and the year was growing short. The extraction of the stone was meant to be a quick and easy task, but it seemed the closer he came to finding it, the further he truly was.

"I'm not quite sure how to get to it." He stared at his shoes, far too frightened to look into the inky mist that contained the final piece of his Lord's soul.

"Explain!" His Lord hissed angrily at him. Quirrell was never good with pressure, but he was one of the few Death Eaters who wasn't associated with the dark arts publicly and thus the only one suitable for the job. No one would be suspicious of the cowardice man, but the Dark Lord grew more and more irritable the longer he was forced to remain in this shapeless form.

"There are obstacles, my Lord." With each attempt at power, it seemed that his Lord was hindered and Quirrell worried that his failures would soon put himself on the list of hindrances. When one stood in the path of the Dark Lord, they were removed.

"I suggest you figure it out. Fail me again and you will be replaced." Quirrell fell to his knees as the mist entered his body. He could feel his Lord latch onto his magical core. His body sagged slightly as a portion of his magic began absorbing into his master.

"Yes my Lord." He whispered. The Dark Lord had plans, as he was sure that old fool, Dumbledore, did. Their game of chest was soon to reach its climax and all of the pieces would begin falling.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Edited_**

Josephine stared into the red mucus in her hand. Her throat was sore and her lungs felt like they had been coated with acid. Her brother preformed a simple cleaning spell before pressing his hand on her shoulder. He lowered her into the warm comfort of her bed and ordered her to stay. She was ill and had been for quite sometime, there was nothing the healers could do and no amount of potions or charms could slow the process. It was a muggle disease, can-something, an illness his sister, no doubt, picked up from all of her constant worrying. His eyes trailed over his sister's frail form, without the glamours she looked as ghastly as their mother in her final days. Josephine would barely survive another year at this rate and Lucius refused to subject her to muggle medical practices.

"You will have to tell her eventually." Lucius knew the death of his sister would have little effect on his niece. The hateful child would be glad to be rid of her mother and as much as he loved his elder sister, he could understand the feeling. He would never tell his sister how much of a burden she was and has always been, but he felt no remorse when thinking such acrid thoughts. He thought that maybe Narcissa was rubbing off on them, she hated Josephine with a passion. Hermione followed everything Narcissa did so it was no surprise when she began acting similarly, but Lucius didn't understand where his own feelings of resentment stemmed.

"I know, it's just not time yet." She wheezed softly, her earlier coughing fit leaving her a bit breathless. She adored her brother, but she wished he wasn't so imperious. He was always making decisions for her, or assuming he knew what was best for him. She couldn't blame him for it though, he had been taking care of her all her life. She was his elder sister, but she was always the one that needed protecting so he took on her role.

"Have you decided what will be done with your estate and fortune after your passing? You have no sons." He didn't want to seem greedy in a moment such as this, but be could say for certain his sister's riches would be all his. His niece wasn't capable, quite yet, of running a manor successfully or managing her family's unimaginable wealth. It seemed she couldn't even handle her schoolmates, though Lucius wouldn't hold that over her head much longer.

"All of it will be passed to the bloodline's rightful heir." Josephine smiled, her daughter may not be who she wished, but she loved her anyway and believed the young girl deserved every knut. Lucius, of course, was unsatisfied with her response, but he choose not to argue with her. The lines rightful heir was Regulus' bastard. He named his eldest child as his heir the moment she was born, in hopes that she and Hermione would eventually find out who they were to each other. The moment Josephine died, every knut would belonged to Eridanus Walburga Black.

"Have you chosen a suitor for my dear niece?" The average pureblood child was promised to another long before they were even conceived, but Regulus had never been interested in betrothal negotiations. Lucius reframed from signing a contract with the Greengrass line in hopes that he could marry Draco to Hermione and collect the riches their union would bring. Of course, Josephine dismissed his suggestion as she usually did and by then the only option left for his son was the youngest Flint girl. Every pureblood family was withholding their contracts until the Black line finally chose a suitor. The Flint line was terribly poor and appallingly unattractive, but with so few options left they were the best Lucius could find. With a few adjustments the Flint family business could thrive and their union would be profitable. He couldn't risk choosing a more affluent family outside of the Sacred Twenty-Eight because should the children of the Flint line all die or remain unmarried besides the youngest daughter then the Malfoy line would collect another seat in the Wizengamot.

"I haven't, but I have considered a few offers." She had hundreds of contracts on her desk, one for each child of each pureblood family excluding the Weasley family. The families were offering their sons and daughters ranging from the age of one all the way to the age of thirty-five. She had considered the Greengrass family, both daughters, the Rosier family, and the Parkinson family, each family had six seats in the Wizengamot. Three of the most prestigious families of the Sacred Twenty-Eight after the Black line. With four seats, Malfoy was pretty low on the list, though his wealth surpassed majority of the pureblood world. The Black line topped the list with twenty seats and two on the Wizarding Council.

"You have another week to make your decision. The children will be home for winter holiday and we can announce both of their betrothal contracts then." She nodded slowly, her eyes drooping. With the simple order to rest, she allowed herself to drift off.

 ** _1978_**

"Congratulations." She didn't mean to sound so displeased, but it seemed as the years passed it became more difficult not to. Her daughter, nearly five years old now, bounced happily as she waited for her father to pick her up. He smiled at the young girl, the glamour that kept her grey eyes and dark hair concealed made his heart ache. He longed to see the child that was so similar to himself, his miniature. He spun her and laughed as she giggled along with him.

"Does the prospect truly bitter you so?" He asked as he set the child back down. Amusement danced in his eyes as he watched the woman stumble over her words. Her eyes were wide as she attempted to explain herself. She was always so afraid of angering him, he would never physically harm her, but she feared one day he would leave. He always dismissed her fears with a simple wave of his hand. Regulus could be a cruel man, but his family meant the world to him and he could never bring himself to treat them as his brother-in-law treated his.

"Will she be your heir?" It's not like Andromeda would see a single knut of the Black fortune, but she had hoped that one day her daughter would know the luxury of her mother's origin. All her daughter had ever known was this small house in the muggle countryside. It was cramped at best, but the most that Andromeda's muggleborn husband could afford.

"No, the moment my wife and I die, Eridanus Walburga Black will be revealed. Her glamour will dissolve and her name will appear on the family tree below mine. Delly, her house elf, will fetch her and she will meet her sister." The small girl was oblivious to the conversation up until she heard the word "sister."

"Sister?" She asked, excitement lacing her tone. She began bouncing again as she grabbed a fist full of her father's robes and stared at him with curiosity filling her dark brown eyes. He almost forgot how excitable his eldest was, it had been nearly six months since he last stood before them. With Josephine showing signs of illness so early in the pregnancy, it was far too dangerous to leave her on her own too long.

"Yes darling." He patted the mop of messy sandy brown hair and only faltered slightly at the course texture. "She was born two days ago." He smiled lovingly, he had yet to hold the babe, but just the sight of her blonde tuff and balled fists made his heart swell. His daughter was a beacon of light in the darkness, she was his joy. Her eyes had yet to open, but somehow he knew he would be looking into eyes as grey as his own. His eldest was his hope for a better future and his youngest was his light, he knew they would do great things for this world.

"Her name?" Andromeda tried to sound cheerful, but her tone was a pitiful mixture of jealousy and sorrow.

"Hermione Gemini Black." He finally sat in the chair she brought in for him. He pulled their daughter into his lap and waved his wand for her. She giggled as sparks shot from its tip.

"You didn't give her your mother's name?" Andromeda always pried too deeply into situations. Regulus considered her suspicions occasionally, but he always dismissed them. She was irrational, but he could understand it on some level. She thought that one day he would disown their daughter and forget all about them, but his heart was large enough for them all.

"I've only the one and my eldest already carries her name." He produced a bird from his wand and smiled as his daughter clapped and giggled happily. Her eyes were filled with wonder as the bird landed on her shoulder.

"And my mother's name?" She pressed further. He inquired about her reasoning for asking such preposterous questions, but she easily brushed him off and demanded his answer.

"Bellatrix wishes to name her child after your mother, should she have one." Andromeda paused at the mention of her elder sister. She had never seen Bella show any interest in children and as far as Andromeda knew her sister hated their mother. She didn't think she had been gone for so long, but it seemed that nearly a decade away was long enough for many changes.

 _1991_

Hermione worked her way to the head of the Slytherin table nearly as quickly as Bellatrix. She was the last child born into the Black line, the heir of Black. Her place was above everyone and she finally made it. Draco sat at her right and the Rosier boy to her left, he was some seventh year by the name of Peter, the only son of Evan Rosier. He made sure everyone knew who his father was and how brave his father was for duelling a wizard as powerful as Alastor Moody. Hermione considered his father a fool, he was approaching his 21st birthday upon his death. Moody was nearly twice his age and Evan wasn't much of a duelist. The story would be impressive if Evan Rosier wasn't dead during the first three minutes of the skirmish.

"Father says that we will all be spending the holiday at our manor." Draco swiftly interrupted Rosier's story and Hermione flashed him a grateful smile.

"Yes, Aunt Cissy told me that there are important matters to discuss." She took a sip from her goblet and cut slowly into her steak. She was allowed first choice of all of the dishes before her housemates began devouring everything. The two first year boys that followed Draco around, Crabb and Goyle, learned this lesson the hard way. The moment they sat down for their first supper at Hogwarts they began digging into the food with abandon. Subsequent to that meal Hermione turned them into pigs and set their tails on fire as they ran around the common room. They squealed in what she assumed was fear and agony. The next morning they didn't eat at all, even after she had chosen everything she wanted.

"What do you think it's about?" Draco grabbed a cookie from one of the twins' plates. Both of them glared at the blond boy before snagging three cookies from Daphne's plate. Daphne didn't bother with the cookies, Hermione watched the girl carefully. She felt satisfaction when dismissing the girl, but the other blonde was frowning and it wasn't of Hermione's doing. Daphne's mood seemed much darker as of late, she cherished her peace, but she couldn't help missing the blue eyed girl's constant pestering.

"Your betrothal to Agnes Flint." Draco nearly choked on his sugar cookie. He sputtered pitifully as he glared at her. "Come now Draco, it's, I mean she, she's not so bad." Hermione couldn't contain her amusement, her usually stoic mask broke and a teasing grin curled at the corners of her lips.

"I heard that her parents pulled her from Hogwarts. She was so ugly the others bullied her mercilessly." Fred laughed as Draco turned his glare to the red head. The blond boy felt ill at the prospect, he couldn't marry a dog, he was sure there was a law against it.

"Oh she was!" Rosier piped through his laughter. "She would be a third year now, her face was that of a fish and those teeth, a clear identifier for all of the Flint line."

"You've got yourself quite the cow, Draco." George snickered. He didn't come from a family that believed in betrothal and he was quite grateful for that. He couldn't imagine ending up with a girl like that, he had seen photos of the girl and Rosier was far too kind in his description.

Draco stood, red faced and teary eyed, and he ran quickly from the Great Hall. Hermione scoffed at his retreating form, she had found the unsigned contract in her uncle's study. It was the only one on his desk and she could assume that it was the only one he had received. For some odd reason, the world of purebloods was fixated with her and she was glad she didn't have worry about marriage contracts. Her mother wouldn't dare.

l..l

Hermione stood stoically before her mother and uncle. Her cousin fidgeted nervously as his father fixed him with his usual stare. Josephine seemed off, but Hermione didn't question it. Her mother didn't hug her and she couldn't help feeling pleased, maybe the woman was finally learning. During the first days of Lucius and Narcissa's marriage, Josephine attempted to hug Narcissa everyday, but she was pushed away. Hermione, being her aunt's biggest fan, took on a similar habit.

"Mother." She greeted, her eyes passing quickly over the Black matriarch. "Uncle Lucius." She dipped her head at the two before moving passed them. Her aunt stood a ways away from the pair and she nearly ran to her. She wrapped her arms around the grey eyed woman, a smile on her lips. "Aunt Cissy, I've missed you." Lady Malfoy returned the hug with a soft smile that she reserved for her son and niece. Narcissa's heart was icy and black, but her children, Hermione and Draco both, kept those few warm spots from freezing over too. Hermione wasn't biologically hers, but she spent so much time mothering the girl that it felt natural including her right alongside Draco.

"How are your studies, dear?" Her aunt made it very clear that Hermione could spend her every second of free time reading the tomes that Bellatrix gave to her and the forbidden text that Zabini had gifted her, but if her grades were to slip she would find herself at the wrong end of her aunt's wrath.

"I have the highest marks in every course." Her aunt nodded, pride filling her eyes.

"Let us return to the manor." Hermione grabbed her aunt's hand and with a pop they were back in the manor. She felt a wave of nausea roll through her, but she remained stoic. She could still feel the tugging in her navel and the uncomfortable feeling of being compressed.

The days passed quickly, Hermione spent her every moment enjoying her aunt's company.

"Have I ever told you the story of when Bella first met you?" She had told Hermione this story many times, but she always asked this way. Hermione's head was resting in her aunt's lap as they relaxed in the library. Hermione's favourite place was with her books, with her knowledge.

"Yes, but I want to hear it again." She whispered, breathing in the soft scent of lavender and dusty parchment. The mixture of her aunt's smell and the smell of the tomes around her were the comforts of home to her.

"She walked into your nursery after a long mission. She received word of your birth while she was in Bosnia for negotiations." Narcissa ran her fingers through Hermione's soft curls. "She was so excited to meet Regulus's heir, but Josephine stopped her before she could enter. Apparently you were sleeping and she didn't want Bella to wake you, but Bella laughed. You had yet to open your eyes, after weeks of being in this world and Bella knew your closed eyes didn't mean anything." Hermione twirled a strand of Narcissa's hair around her finger, something she always did with Bella when she was small. "The moment she lifted you into her arms, your eyes opened and she was mesmerised. Your eyes were the Black's grey, but they way you watched her was what interested her. You looked into her eyes directly, with a maturity that no infant other than Bella herself ever had." Hermione smiled softly, this was her favourite story. Her aunt use to tell it to her when she woke up after a nightmare.

She listened to stories about Bella's bravery and how impressed their Lord was when Bella was born. Her break was going wonderful, that is until Christmas.

"Hermione, I have something to tell you." Her mother sat beside her in the lounge, the family was gathered around the tree waiting to open gifts. Christmas was never a joyous occasion for the Blacks, Josephine spent the holiday bawling and Hermione locked herself away in her room. Regulus loved Christmas, their home was always alight with beautiful lights and music filled the air in their home, but subsequent to his death every decoration was burned and the music was locked away in the attic. Neither of them ever received what they wanted from Ol' Saint Nick. Josephine's sullen expression gave Hermione the impression that this Christmas would be no exception, even with the Malfoys observing the holiday with them. "I'm very ill." Her mother continued after a long pause. "I'm dying, I have been sick for a long while, but I chose to keep this secret from you. My time is running out and I wanted to give you time to prepare."

The expressions of the room's occupants varied; anger, happiness, resignation, and sorrow. Narcissa smiled, her joy was almost palpable, she hated the sulky wench and would finally be rid of her. Draco sat sullenly, he knew little of his aunt, other than that she cried often over his uncle who died before his birth, but he never lost anyone before. Lucius watched the pair cautiously, he had accepted the reality of the situation long ago, but Hermione's reaction set him on edge. Hermione's body trembled in fury, she glared hatefully at her mother. Her ire was felt around the room as her magic laced itself in the air.

"You've ruined another Christmas. Every year you seem to find it impossible to allow me to enjoy this day." The young blonde stood, her fists clenched as a vein in her neck throbbed under her skin. Her grey eyes were dark with an underlying pain that Narcissa was the only one to recognise. The young girl always masked her sadness with hatred and anger, Bellatrix was to blame for that. Hermione swore to never shed another tear at a very young age and she hadn't. Many mistook her stoic expression and cold dismissals for rudeness, but Hermione used them like a mask that nobody, except Narcissa, could see through. Her heart was large, just like her father's, but she feared pain. Opening herself to people would leave her broken hearted just as she was when Bella was taken from her.

"How unfortunate." Lady Malfoy stood swiftly, her arm wrapping around her niece as she escorted the young blonde from the parlour. The pair remained silent as they stepped into the dinning room. Hermione's fists connected with the stone walls over and over until the skin, stretched tight over her knuckles, split and blood spilled forth. "That's enough, child, throwing a tantrum won't solve the issue." Narcissa gave the crimson splotches on her wall a distasteful look. She worked hard to keep her manor clean, or rather her house elves did, it would take hours of scrubbing to get the stone back to its pristine white. She prohibited cleaning charms in her home, every shining surface was the product of sorrow, agony, and tears, she'd accept nothing less.

"It's not fair! I've only had one Christmas my entire life and I was too young to remember it." She began whispering toward the end, her head hung low. "I just want to laugh and open gifts with Draco." Narcissa began inspecting the girl's hands, she waved her wand over them and the skin knitted back together, leaving bruises as the only sign of Hermione's earlier fit. The elder blonde didn't care much for the girl's whining, but if this stage of life wasn't approached properly, the girl could turn against her. Should she play her cards correctly then Bellatrix will have little work training the child when she finally returns.

"Life isn't fair, my dear." The older blonde pulled her niece into her arms. "One day you will see that." She whispered as she pressed a soothing kiss to the girl's forehead. She stared into the grey eyes that matched her own and a silent understanding passed between them. Neither could afford any display of weakness with so many enemies living in such close quarters. "Let us return to the others."

Her next disappointment for the day would come only an hour later, in the form of a thick roll of parchment. It was adorned with the wax seal of the Greengrass family and two signatures lie at the end, both in blood.

 _As the matriarch of the Black Line, I, Josephine Black bind my daughter, Hermione Black, to the house of Greengrass._

 _As the patriarch of the Greengrass Line, I, Hyperion Greengrass bind my daughter, Astoria Greengrass, to the house of Black._

Those two sentences were all that Hermione read, their crimson loops and curves spelled out her doom.

"What about Bella?"

l..l

 ** _It makes me so happy when you guys review. When I see a notification about a new review, I smile for at least an hour after. Thank you for reading, let me know what you think._**

 ** _I'm currently looking for a Beta, so please PM me if you're interested. I don't really need someone to check spelling or grammar. What I need is someone to read the chapter and tell me how they feel about the progression of the plot because I'm really good at putting in filler chapters without realising it._**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Edited. This is where all the darkness begins, I'm only doing one warning, so don't get upset with me. This is a horror romance, so expect death, torture, abuse, gore, and sexual content. It's not all in this chapter, but from here on there will be some mildly and highly graphic scenes depicting any of the above._**

 _She wasn't much for parties, but she found she treasured her dearest's smile more than her own comfort. The two smiled and danced around the room with excitement in their eyes and happiness, the real sort that warmed the entirety of the body, flowing through them and into the air as laughter. Black hair fell in a curtain around them as the elder of the two bent to hold small dimpled hands. Dark, nearly black, eyes were alight with joy, something quite foreign to them. Blonde curls flowed around tiny shoulders and bounced with the small child's movements._

 _"Are you enjoying yourself, dove?" Bellatrix wrapped her arms around the small blonde and spun her around. Hermione giggled with glee, her grey eyes shining. The child nodded quickly before kissing the dark witches cheek, the two revelled in their moment._

 _"Again, Bella, again!" The two played for hours, merrily jumping and dancing around the ballroom. As the sun slowly set, Hermione lie comfortably in Bellatrix's arms, her tiny fingers twirling black tresses as her eyelids grew heavier. She yawned softly, resting her head on the dark witch's shoulder, her blonde curls gently tickling Bellatrix's skin._

 _The room around them stood -nearly- still as they watched the pair interact. Bellatrix had never been the happy sort, but Hermione brought about a new side of her._

A petite figure shot up, heaving and dry sobbing. She rolled quickly onto her stomach, the moulded bread and lumpy slop from her previous meal finding its way back out. She lie trembling in a pool of her own sick, dark eyes glistened with unshed tears and her throat ached from retching. She hadn't dreamed about her little dove in years, she had almost forgotten the girl's face. When the child was small things were simpler, before Bellatrix was put away, before the girl realised the evils of the world. They were connected, some force pulled them together and they always seemed to push forth the best in each other. The day Bellatrix met the girl, she was just a babe, she had yet to open her eyes and everyone was waiting quite impatiently for it. The moment she saw Hermione, her world changed, she would protect the girl with her life and she would defy even her Lord to make the blonde happy. As their skin touched, eye lids fluttered and suddenly the dark witch was staring into grey eyes and she was mesmerised.

She remembered the jealousy in Josephine as the child's eyes gazed upon Bellatrix first. Then once again months later when the child's first word was the dark witch's name.

Bellatrix was fairly indifferent, just a little excited though she would never tell anyone, to the idea of meeting the offspring of her favourite cousin. Upon the order of her Lord she went to see the babe and as she left she knew her life would never be the same. Her black heart began beating again in that moment, but it would only be a few hours subsequent that she would realise that Hermione was a new weakness. She kept tabs on the youth, making sure she was safe at all times, that is until she was arrested. She wanted to be selfish and lie about her loyalty to her Lord, to stay with Hermione, but she couldn't be a coward like Lucius or the rest of his traitorous lot.

Here she sat rotting in this cell, that was so small it resembled an animal carrier. She couldn't stand all the way up and if she pressed her back to one wall her feet would reach the other wall before her legs could stretch completely. It was a dark and cramped existence and had been for a nearly a decade now. It was all for her Lord, but she could think of many places she would shove that damned loyalty if she could go back in time. She was the brightest and most skilled witch of her age, she deserved better than wasting away for some foolish megalomaniac. She couldn't abandon the cause, she dedicated majority of her life to it; her blood, sweat, and tears. She believed the message, but she disagreed with the method. She couldn't bring Hermione into a world that was crumbling, the moment she was released from these chains she would secure their future.

"Don't worry, my little gem, soon I will return to you." Bellatrix whispered softly, her eyes burning with conviction.

 ** _Hogwarts_**

She smirked, she had never heard a pair speak louder about their secrets. The red head knew little about whispering and his green eyed counterpart was no better. She scoffed at their attempt to organise well enough to get to the philosopher's stone. While the stone was of no interest to her, she found herself pulling together a group to retrieve it just to foil Potter's plans. The duo looked over their shoulders, hoping no one in the library was listening to them. She was of course, but she had been smart enough to charm the area around them, so no one else was. The boys were completely hopeless, she would send the twins to distract them as she, Daphne, Pucey, and Bulstrode found the stone.

The plan began roughly, due to Bulstrode's petty grudge, but Daphne silenced her quickly and they were finally in business. Potter, his worthless sidekick, and the Longbottom boy, who was surprisingly intelligent, led them straight to the stone. First as the cowering, big toothed boy put the three headed beast to sleep, next as he talked them through slipping through the devil's snare. Then there was difficulty as they entered the room of keys, but the Potter boy was skilled enough with a broom stick to chase down the correct key. Once they made it to the life-sized chess game, the red head finally proved his worth as he led them through the game. As the game came to a close the red head found himself injured and unable to continue and the round boy stayed behind with him.

Finally, it was time to strike. She signalled the twins forward and they advanced on Potter with grins slowly curling at the corners of their lips. Before he could enter the circle of potions, he was pulled harshly to the ground.

"Where do you..." George began.

"Think you're off to?" Fred finished with a laugh. Green eyes looked up in shock as the twins pulled him onto his knees and bowed him before her. Anger and fear warred in the emerald depth and triumph filled her as the boy submitted to her.

"Please." He whispered. "I have to get to the stone. I have to stop Voldemort." She relished the frustration in his tone. She never felt like a queen more than when her minions were standing around her, each with their head bowed, silently awaiting her next command.

"He's all yours boys." She dismissed the twins with the wave of her hand. They nodded excitedly, dragging the thin boy away. "Now let's finish this already, huh?"

She was the only one allowed in to the chamber, she found the Mirror of Erised, but no stone. Curious, she thought. She walked around the mirror, her fingers inspecting it.

"Why don't you look?" A harsh whisper drifted into her ears.

"I already know what I desire most." She smiled as she turned and was met with Professor Quirrell. A face protruded from the back of his head, its features were snakelike and the skin was ghastly white. The flesh looked tightly stretched, Professor Quirrell whimpered in pain the more the face moved. The face chuckled softly at the child.

"And what is it you desire most?" She watched the parasite cautiously, its red eyes were familiar, but she couldn't remember where she knew them from.

"Bellatrix Black." She whispered. A genuine smile spread the length of the protrusions face, it's glowing eyes wrinkled at the edges as fondness for the child filled them.

"Look in the mirror." It commanded. She wanted to protest, but it was a small request, one she didn't feel the need to defy. "What do you see?" She saw Bellatrix, the dark witch's arm draped over her shoulder. The elder witch reached into Hermione's pocket and as she opened her hand a red stone lie in her palm.

"The stone and Bella." She smiled as she turned back to it. Her hand slid into her pocket and her fingers met the hard surface of the stone just as she had seen in the mirror.

"Give it to me child." It whispered gently. Professor Quirrell extended his hand and she dropped the stone into it, flashing a triumphant smile at them. Every step toward the Dark Lord's revival was a step backward for the light's cause. She would be the next legendary Black, her name would stand next to her father and Bella's in the hall of dark wizard fame.

She left shortly after, she knew the old fool would show up soon and she hoped Professor Quirrell was gone before that happened. The sooner her Lord was brought back the sooner Bellatrix would be rescued from her chains.

She stuck to the shadows as she made her way back to the Slytherin dorms. Her eyes watched the halls carefully and she listened as best she could over the snoring of the portraits.

"Hermione." She groaned as a pale hand grabbed her arm. "It is well passed curfew." He turned her and his inky black eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. "20 points from Slytherin. Why are you out this late?" Irritation was written across his face, he hated taking points from his own students.

"I was with our Lord." She answered truthfully. He paused for a long moment and stared directly into her eyes. She could feel him rummaging through her memories. Her mind relaxed and she pushed the memory forward, fighting the process only made it painful. He pulled himself from her mind and nodded slowly.

"50 points to Slytherin." He gave her a small, crooked grin before shooing her off to bed.

Upon her return to the common room she was met by the brooding blonde that she was dreading seeing. She knew that eventually they would have to talk, she would have to begin courting Astoria in the next year or two and they had yet to address Daphne's crush.

"Did you get it?" Daphne's mood was still as dark as ever and her tone seemed even more bitter. She was acting like a child that was being forced to share her favourite toy. They were only 12, well Hermione was 13, but that was besides the point. They were still extremely young, immaturity was expected, but she was never afforded the opportunity to be a child and she found it almost appalling when others did.

"Yes, I gave it to our Lord. Soon the dark will reign again." Daphne seemed bored with the conversation already. Hermione nearly hexed the girl, their Lord returning effected them all. They were coming upon golden times for pureblood society and Daphne couldn't see passed her own childish desires.

"I saw you speaking to my sister this morning." Hermione rolled her eyes as the younger girl finally got to the point.

"We bumped into each other, the polite thing to do is apologise and inquire about the other's health." She brushed passed the other blonde, she was ready to fall into her bed and sleep for a year. A soft hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her roughly backward. Hermione slipped her wand from its holster on her hip and pressed it to Daphne's throat. "Don't forget yourself, Greengrass." She whispered near the taller girl's ear. She yanked her arm from the other blonde's grasp and angrily marched into her dormitory. Daphne was going to lose her hand the next time she found the courage to touch Hermione without permission.

 _Malfoy Manor_

Lucius laughed manically, his eyes were glazed with insanity. Narcissa was dealing with another of his episodes and her face was taking the brunt of it. Bruises and cuts covered her alabaster skin and her eyes were beginning to lose focus. Suddenly his eyes darkened and a crippling sorrow came over him.

"I'm sorry, Cissy." He whispered, his arms wrapping around her, he began to rock her gently. He peppered her face in kisses and rested one of his hands over her stomach. "She's gone."

"It's okay, Lucius." She cradled his face in her hands.

"No!" He pushed her away. "I killed our baby girl, Cissy." He cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. "She needed me to protect her." He pulled Narcissa back into his arms and laid his head on her shoulder. "I wanted to hold her. I wanted to see her beautiful eyes, but she was so soft." He whimpered and Narcissa rubbed his back soothingly. Her fingers ran through his hair and she began rocking him just as he did for her. "I couldn't stop myself. Her little head and her tiny nose, I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you." She pulled away from him. She stared into his eyes and tried to make him see her forgiveness. She didn't hate him for it anymore.

"Say her name." He whispered. "Please." He begged.

"Ursa Lucia Malfoy." He cried harder and whispered their daughter's name over and over. He went to their daughter's grave twice a year. Once on her birthday and once five months later, on the day of her death. He brought toys and photos of the family with him every time. He wanted to make her forgive him, but he couldn't forgive himself. He kept a small bear toy in a trunk hidden in their closet, the bear was the first gift his daughter received from him. Her constellation was the little bear and he had one of the elves make one for her. She loved the toy, she clutched at it when she slept and cried anytime it was taken from her.

The first few weeks following her death, he kept it on his pillow. Her scent lingered on it and he needed the comfort. He woke in the mornings, forgetting all about it and as he entered her nursery and saw the empty room he broke down. The moment the child passed her nursery was promptly torn apart and emptied out by Narcissa. She hated Lucius then, but she couldn't hate him anymore, he hated himself enough.

Draco was her new light after their daughter's death, but she could never forget the pale blue eyes and the blonde curls that rested atop her angel's head.

His episodes always ended like this. He beat her mercilessly, then he would see the blue of their daughter's eyes in his mind and the crying began.

"I'm so sorry." He hated himself enough, she reminded herself as her face throbbed.

 _Hogwarts_

Daphne watched her sister lean her head on Hermione's shoulder as they studied together. Astoria's charms were lacking and Hermione excelled in every subject, so she seemed like the perfect tutor. That's the explanation that she gave to Daphne, but the elder witch knew better. Astoria always loved to take things from her older sister and here she was now taking something else.

"Glaring won't change anything." Draco whispered to her. The blond boy popped up at the oddest moments.

"And what will, oh wise one?" She hated how bitter she sounded.

"Do something for her. She's like other girls, give her something she likes." He shrugged as if Hermione's interests were common knowledge. She stared at him, hoping he would continue.

"Well, what does she like?" She grunted irritably. He smirked, she knew he just wanted a reaction from her and it made her mood that much worse knowing that he got it.

"She's been researching the Chamber of Secrets, you know Salazar Slytherin's chamber. She's found it, but she doesn't know how to open it." He could practically see the cogs turning in Daphne's mind.

"I have to find out how to open the chamber." He laughed and nodded as she smiled for the first time in weeks.

As the term drew to an end, Hermione continued to ignore Daphne and the eldest Greengrass spent her every waking moment in the library searching for a way into the chamber. As they stepped off the train to return home for the summer she tried to say goodbye to the elder blonde, but she was ignored. She pressed forward anyway.

"Hermione, please, I'm sorry." She whispered as she tried to keep up with the shorter girl as she practically sprinted through the family's on the platform. She followed Hermione to Narcissa Malfoy, who seemed less than pleased to see Daphne. "Lady Malfoy." She greeted politely, her eyes never leaving the Black heir.

"Ms. Greengrass." Narcissa clipped curtly. "Come along, Hermione." The pair disappeared with a pop and Daphne was left standing alone.

l..l

 ** _Leave a review, thanks for reading. I left a story warning at the beginning of the chapter, if you skipped over it, I recommend reading it._**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Edited_**

Daphne tried to ignore her sister's giggling and Hermione's compliments to the younger girl's intellect. The Ravenclaw was elated over the Slytherin Queen's attention and her elder sister was irritated with how quickly Hermione replaced her. She continued skimming the Malfoy library for information on the Chamber of Secrets, Draco offered his help, but the two had been unsuccessful thus far. The tomes provided descriptions and small theories here and there, but there was no information in one text that another didn't already have.

"What are the two of you up to?" Hermione's question was addressed to both of them, but she refused to acknowledge Daphne's presence. When the Greengrass heir didn't speak Draco looked up, his eyes darting back and forth between the two blondes. The air around them was charged with tension, Daphne fidgeted nervously and waited for the boy to answer. She wasn't sure how Hermione would react to her and she didn't want to make things worse than they already were.

After a long suspenseful silence, _research_ was Draco's reply. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to the brunette that was chatting her ear off. She was punishing Daphne, but she was finding this to be more of a punishment for herself than the other blonde. The younger Greengrass seemed like a shy girl that spoke little, but the moment she began talking... she didn't stop. Hermione had Draco invite Daphne over for a few weeks of the summer, not because she missed her, but because the older blonde was bored. Or at least that's what she told herself. When Astoria found out that Daphne was invited to the Malfoy Manor, she immediately owled Hermione to ask permission to come along. Of course the elder girl couldn't deny her after allowing her sister, whom she had been ignoring, to stay for the remainder of the summer. Besides that, Astoria was her betrothed and her aunt would scold her viciously for turning the young brunette away.

"Your knowledge of herbology is nearly enviable." Daphne stood abruptly as Hermione gave another half-arsed compliment that her younger sister ate like candy. The older blonde gave her a satisfied smirk, she knew she was letting Hermione win, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She turned swiftly and angrily ran from the library. Tears welled in her dark blue eyes, she tried to wipe the salty liquid from her cheeks as she made her way to the room she was staying in.

The halls were unusually lively tonight and in her haste she ran into someone. She was caught before she could fall, the hand that held her arm was covered in soot and blackened by burns. As she looked up she saw her father, his eyes were haunted. She would ask why he was here, but she was more interested in what happened to him. His body trembled and fear danced over his face. "Run, child, run." He whispered as he threw a quick glance over his shoulder.

"Greengrass, run!" A voice shouted from the direction her father came from. Suddenly there was an explosion and she was on the ground. Her ears rang and she couldn't see through the dust and smoke. She couldn't feel anything, her body was numb as she sat up, but then she was screaming. Her father lie beside her, his abdomen pierced by debris and his head caved in by a sculpture that fell from its mount. His blood soaked her robes as she tried to push the clay figure off of him. Tears poured from her eyes as she gathered the pieces of his head and attempted to put them back together. She pulled his mangled body into her lap and rocked the motionless carcass, she couldn't handle it. He was all she had left, her mother died when she was only five and since then her father and she had become close, nearly best friends and now his lifeless body was turning cold and stiff before her eyes. She couldn't look into the dark blue eyes that she inherited because they looked like mashed grapes.

"Father, please, wake up!" She sobbed uncontrollably as chaos continued around her. Spells were being fired, but all she could do was soak her father's blood caked robes with tears. Hermione watched the girl from the other end of the corridor, she had come to find her and found the girl in a heap of blood and severed body parts. Hyperion was missing a few fingers, one was actually tangled in Daphne's hair; blonde tresses turned red. His left leg was twisted and bent backward, his right faired no better, its bones had been shattered and resembled flesh pudding draped in torn trousers. "Daddy, don't leave me." Suddenly Hermione felt sick, her chest ached as the younger girl cried her heart out. The longer she stared the more Daphne resembled herself and Hyperion, her own father, Regulus. She felt tears well in her eyes as she watched herself beg him to wake up. She watched herself rock his lifeless body and whisper to his deaf ears how much she loved him, how much she would miss him. He never said it back, he never hugged back, but she knew he felt the same.

She blinked quickly, stopping the tears before they could fall, she would never cry again. She fell quickly into a war crouch, the one that Aunt Cissy always told her about. She remembered her aunt's memories of Bellatrix and she mimicked every movement, though obviously inexperienced in battle, she fell easily into each step. Images of the Dark Witch played through her mind and slowly each step became almost natural. She fell in line with the Death Eater's around her and found herself trading curses with an auror. The woman duelled ferociously and with each evasion she found herself more and more impressed with the girl. The moment they finished here she would find Dumbledore, the Order could use a young witch as powerful as her. She was still young enough to be turned to the light and with so much power at such a young age, she could be a wonderful asset as she grew. She was putting up a good fight, even being as young as she was. She was going easy on the child, but she found herself exerting more energy than she first thought she would.

The auror's eyes widened minutely as someone yelled the girls name. Hermione, she whispered to herself, her baby sister. The girl was the spitting image of their father, the blonde tresses were the only difference.

"Tonks, fall out! Back to headquarters!" The auror winked at the girl before hitting her with a stupefy, the spell was charged with nearly all of her energy. The child shouted protego, her arm shaking as she tried to maintain it. Her shield began to crack as she spell finally dissipated, but the pink haired auror had already disappeared. She growled under her breath before turning her attention back to the nearly catatonic girl behind her.

Daphne lie curled around her father's mutilated form. Her tears had long stopped, but the moment one of the Death Eaters began trying to pull her from her father she began screaming. Her magic crackled in the air, as high levels of emotion often caused and every hand that touched her caught fire. The men, being as foolish as they were, continued trying to touch her, she rolled her eyes before kneeling next to the girl.

"Daph, you have to let go." She laid her hand on the younger blonde without bursting into flames. The men watched the scene cautiously, their wands at the ready. The screaming stopped, but the blue eyed girl refused to release the corpse. "I promise it will be okay." She pressed her lips to Daphne's forehead, her hands gently massaging the tension from her back and shoulders. "Can you let go of him for me? Come on, love, it'll be alright." Tightly fisted hands untangled themselves from the deadman, just to attach to the Black heir. Hermione rocked the girl as the Death Eaters dragged the puddle, that was Hyperion Greengrass, away. Hermione stood the girl up and they walked together back to the Black heir's bedchamber.

Hermione gently sat the girl down and slowly unlaced Daphne's boots. She pulled the other girl down with her in the bed, after kicking her own shoes off, and wrapped her arms around the taller blonde. The Greengrass heir laid there silently for a few moments before she began sobbing again. She clutched onto Hermione and Hermione provided the comfort that she knew the younger girl needed. "He's gone." She choked out. Hermione pressed another kiss to Daphne's forehead. Pressure built in her chest as her, dare she say friend, whimpered and sobbed.

"Shh love, it's going to be alright. I'm here." She assured, Daphne felt a warmth in her chest as she realised that Hermione was speaking to her, that Hermione had called her love, and was holding her, comforting her. Hearing the elder blonde say I'm here made her cry harder. Hermione had never been this kind, but she knew it wasn't pity; she saw empathy, she too knew loss.

"I love you, Hermione." She whispered.

"I know, darling, I know." Hermione pressed another tender kiss to her forehead. Hermione remembered her father doing that for her, remembered seeing it happen through her mother's eyes. He always comforted her like that, he had been so fearful upon her birth, he didn't hold her for the first time until she was well over a month old. He didn't want to hurt her, he saw a fragile being that needed his love and he had so little to give already. The day he held her for the first time, it was well past midnight and her mother was exhausted. She began wailing and rather than her mother rushing in to see to her, her father stepped into her nursery, yet another first for him. She fit into his arms perfectly, she bawled loudly and without end, but he didn't seem afraid anymore. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and whispered I know, darling, I know. He stared lovingly at the girl in his arms as her mother secretly watched from the doorway. Daddy doesn't get much sleep either, but I promise I won't like you sit up by yourself anymore. Her crying died out and the two were left in the silence, staring into each other's eyes. She smiled contently and he returned it.

The girls fell asleep together, clothes and sheets stained red.

 _"Close your eyes, dove." Bellatrix cradled the child in her arms. Terrible twos didn't come close to describing the little monster that Hermione had become, but Bellatrix loved it. No matter how many times the little one broke things, she could still run to the Dark Witch and find haven. She snuggled closer to the dark haired woman. Her tiny hands pressed to both sides of the woman's face as she made funny faces. Bellatrix laughed at the child's stalling, she didn't mind putting the girl to bed, the bright eyed girl was always wide awake a few hours later. The child rose with the moon and slept with the moon too, she took no less than three naps when the sun was up. "I'll be here when you open your eyes." She whispered._

 _Then suddenly Hermione was four and the moon was red rather than its usual bright grey. Bellatrix was pacing her bedroom angrily while her mother lie twitching and half-conscious on the floor. "Don't cry darling." The Dark Witch smiled and then her smile began melting. Under the pristine alabaster skin was a dirt caked and emaciated woman. She was hunched over, tears dropped from her face as she retched onto the cement floor that she would later sleep on, puddle and all. "Close your eyes, dove." A harsh voice whispered, it was so different from the melodic tones that she remembered._

She woke up to a crash right outside her door. She gently untangled herself from Daphne and drew her wand as she slowly moved to the door. She fell back into her crouch as she swung the door open, but she found nothing amiss. Death Eaters, dressed in their everyday garb, were cleaning debris from the corridors. She hadn't realised that all the fighting was held this far in the manor, she didn't remember seeing anyone back here.

She stopped one of the men as he levitated a large stone in front of him. "What happened earlier? Why were we attacked?" She asked as politely as she could. The man glared at her and scoffed.

"I'll not be questioned by you girl." She raised her wand, crucio rolling from her lips. The stone fell to the ground and his body landed right next to it. He screeched and clawed at his flesh, pleas for mercy mixing with his agonised howling. She counted to twenty, very slowly, before granting him reprieve. He saw Bellatrix in the young girl and it made him tremble.

"I won't ask again." Her eyes darkened, pupils dilating as the man remained silent. This time his back arched into a perfect bow, she was impressed with his flexibility. She counted to sixty this time and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. She growled, _how inconvenient_ , she thought. _Rennervate_ , he screamed as his dark brown eyes were once again staring into grey ones. "Last chance." His eyes filled with fear.

"We were attempting to resurrect our Lord's body." He wheezed and twitched. "Carrow is worthless and he messed up the spell, the stone caught fire." He pressed his eyes shut, she could imagine he had a terrible headache. "Then suddenly the Order and aurors were here, shot the stone and it exploded. Took out the basement and the foyer. Lost four guys on our side, six on theirs." She nodded. She turned to see if Daphne was still asleep, of course she wasn't with the noise the man was keeping up.

The taller blonde stood in the doorway. Bags lie below her eyes and tear stains covered her cheeks. Her usually tanned skin was ghastly white and her clothes were caked with dried blood. Debris as well as her father's stray finger were tangled in her matted hair.

"Can I use your bath?" She yawned softly. Her eyes were lazy with sadness and her shoulders were slumped with the weight of the world. Hermione nodded and led the way, she plucked the greying finger from the girl's hair before she could notice it and tossed it back into the hall.

"I'll set some clothes on the counter, I'm going to check in Draco and Astoria." The girl's eyes watched Hermione blankly as the taps began to flow and the smell of the ocean filled the air.

She eventually found Draco and Astoria with Narcissa in he library where she left them yesterday. Astoria's appearance resembled Daphne's.

"How is she?" Narcissa pulled Hermione into their corner by the fireplace.

"She's been better." Narcissa frowned, she couldn't imagine the girl's pain; to see her father killed so grotesquely. Narcissa personally hated her own father, but seeing Cygnus die that way would still ruin her.

"She may never be better again."


	7. Chapter 7

_12 Grimmauld Place_

Quirrell was seated in her lounge. His eyes were sunken and his skin was pale from the energy their Lord was taking from his body. The protrusion, their Lord, was still using his body as a vessel and planned to until the body was no longer of use. "I have something very important for you to do, my dear." Quirrell pulled a journal from his robes. It was a dark leather bound journal with the initials _T.R_. on the cover. "I need a new vessel until a new plan can be made for my resurrection. This diary contains a portion of my soul. Once given to the right person, it will provide me with a new energy source and lead you to the Chamber of Secrets." Quirrell caressed the spine of the diary as their Lord spoke. "It needs to be given to someone that is easily manipulated. Perhaps a young, insecure girl." She nodded as she took the diary from Quirrell and slipped it into her own robes.

"I am honoured to receive this opportunity, my Lord." Hermione smiled and bowed.

"I have faith in you, child. You remind me of Bellatrix when she was your age, she was so very eager to please me." Her Lord praised her and Hermione soaked it up like a sponge. "Come Quirrell, we have business to attend. Don't disappoint me, my dear."

 _Azkaban_

"Happy Birthday, dove." Bellatrix looked through the tiny crack in her cell; her only source of light for the last decade. Hermione was growing so quickly and she was missing every precious moment. Her nails dug into the palm of her hands, the weeping of her skin was the only crying she would allow herself.

The girl, no, young woman, was 14 today. She couldn't owl her, she couldn't see her, but she could imagine her. She could imagine the smile on the girl's face when she placed a gift in front of her.

"What do you think, dove?" Hermione hugged the raven haired woman tightly, a bright smile on her face. She was more interested in Bella's presence than any gift that anyone could buy.

"I love it, Bella!" Bellatrix rolled her eyes playfully.

"You haven't opened it, darling." The box remained neatly wrapped in dark red paper with a black bow.

"You gave it to me, it could be a quill without ink and I would still love it."

"Meal time, 93!" She glared at the guard as he slipped the bowl in and left. She was going to get out of here soon and everyone that contributed to taking her from her little dove would suffer. The torture of the Longbottoms will seem like child's play compared to what she was going to do to them.

 _Malfoy Manor_

"Draco is my son, Narcissa." Lucius spoke calmly. He sat across from his wife in his study. This argument was dragging into its second hour.

"I know, Lucius." She was trying to keep her tone gentle, but he was being persistent with this topic.

"Then why is it that you won't allow him to spend a single moment alone with me?" She sighed, after the incident with the stone, Lucius' number of episodes tripled. He didn't go a single day without at least two, and that was only on good days. They were at dinner when the first one hit, Draco spent the entire night trembling under the dining table as his mother was dragged about the manor. Nothing in this world could traumatise him the way that did.

Narcissa wasn't trying to keep Draco from his father, but if he slipped with their son she could never forgive herself. Draco had never witnessed his mother's abuse before that day and afterward he begged his mother to keep him from being alone with his father for too long. When it was time to board the Hogwarts Express, Draco didn't look back when climbing on. He moved quickly to find his cousin and a compartment, anything to keep his mind off his mother and father.

"The both of us are allotted the same amount of time with our son every holiday. I just wish to make the most of our time." She answered simply. His eyes narrowed at her.

"You don't trust me!" His tone was accusatory, but she couldn't deny it. That was the exact reason she was hovering over their son every second of the day. "I'm fine." He spat through his teeth. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

"I never said you would, Lucius." She trusted him to an extent, but she didn't trust his mental state anymore and she wouldn't take the same chance again. She couldn't bury two children in her lifetime. "I just don't think it's a good idea to take the chance." She whispered.

 _Hogwarts_

Daphne's eyes were dull, her hair was limp and greasy, and her skin was nearing on grey. She spent her time either staring blankly into space or crying until her eyes were bloodshot. Hermione tried to stick around for the first few days, but the depression was quickly becoming contagious.

A bit of random wandering brought her to the black lake. She just needed a quiet place to breathe some fresh air and enjoy a more relaxed environment. She caught sight of a mop of dark hair and glasses. Deja vu, she hummed softly before sitting next to the boy who lived.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced." She raised her hand for him to shake. "Hermione Black." She offered a small smile. Emerald eyes watched her suspiciously, but a few moments passed and his hand found hers. His body relaxed and he smiled politely.

"Harry Potter." He pushed his broken glasses up his nose. The cracked left lens and the tape in the middle of the bridge was comical, but she didn't laugh. She waved her wand quickly and the glasses were as good as new. "Thank you." He whispered. "Why are you being nice to me?" She rolled her eyes.

"Tell me about your scar." He scoffed at her command.

"Voldemort gave it to me when he tried to kill me. He killed my parents and died trying to kill me." She laughed. The insignificant muggle evil that lived in his home was nothing compared to the evil he was so easily dismissing. The Dark Lord didn't just simply die while trying to kill an infant. The magical workings of it all were far more complex.

"Not that, Potter, tell me about the scar. Does it give you any special abilities? You know, like speaking languages you never learned or seeing places you've never been?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why do you want to know?" Her patience was wearing thin, but patience was a necessity for a delicate task such as this.

"We want the same thing, Potter. If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." He scoffed again. They were complete opposites, how could they possibly want the same thing? She found the game of manipulation exhilarating in every way. The way Potter tried to see through her façade made it all the more better. He wouldn't learn of his own foolishness until it was far too late and when he did she would trick him again and again. He desired friendship, and even a Weasley could tell the boy didn't know his wand from his willy, so he would never suspect Hermione's ill intentions.

"We don't want the same thing. I want Voldemort and all the dark wizards gone, you want Dumbledore and all the muggleborns gone." It seemed muggles had similar political systems if the boy was already so knowledgeable about the black and white dynamic of the magical world. She laughed at his naïveté. Things were never black in white, it was the light that brainwashed their youth with such notions. If you weren't 100% good then you were bad, there was no 70/30 or 50/50.

"The world we live in has many colours, Potter. Every decision we make is for one reason or another, but it's never just this way or that." He raised an eyebrow. "What I mean is that the lines between the light and dark aren't as defined as you like to believe." She pushed his hair from his forehead and stared at his scar. "You and I want the same thing right now, but that doesn't mean we always will, nor does it mean we never will again."

"What do we want?" He whispered, mesmerised by the piercing grey eyes that tracked his every move.

"Entrance to the Chamber of Secrets." His eyes narrowed as she spoke. Thanks to Daphne, who even in her depression was able to find out how to open the chamber, Hermione's plans were finally in motion. Since her uncle failed their Lord, she would do everything in her power to succeed where he could not.

l..l

The youngest Weasley wandered the castle's corridors aimlessly. Her eyes filling with wonder at each of the new things she saw. She missed the Burrow, but Hogwarts was an amazing new adventure.

"Aren't you a pretty one." A blonde girl appeared before her. Her eyes were a piercing grey and they seemed to be looking through her. A blush spread over the red head's face. "Hermione Black." The girl stretched her hand out and easily captured the youngest Weasley's. Hermione pressed a soft kiss to the back of the younger girl's hand and smirked as her reddened cheeks began to match her vibrant hair.

"Ginny Weasley." She smiled shyly. Hermione loved how easy this was going. The girl acted as if she never received a compliment in her life.

"It's a shame you were sorted into Gryffindor, Ginny." She pushed a few strands of the younger girl's hair behind her ear.

"W-why?" Hermione leaned closer.

"I really hoped to speak with you again." The younger girl was star struck. Not only was an older student holding her hand, but that student just so happened to be the Queen of Slytherin, Hermione Black.

"I would like that, a lot. I mean only if you do too." She added quickly. Ginny picked at the hem of her skirt and blushed even darker. Her skirt was new, as the only female in the Weasley brood, all of her robes seemed new. Low quality, but new. Hermione could tell how eager to please she was, the way she covered the brand logo on her shirt by adding a scarf to her outfit. She was poor and was raised to be a housewife just like her mother, but she wanted to seem more than that at Hogwarts, especially in front of Hermione.

"Take this." Hermione passed the journal to the younger girl. "It's enchanted. I will see everything you write in it from the journal I have in my dorm. This way we can speak to each other whenever you like." Ginny clutched onto it eagerly.

"T. R.?" The girl wondered aloud.

"Thaddeus Rosier. A distance older cousin, it was a birthday gift." The girl didn't question it. The Weasley's didn't chronicle like the other purebloods. Besides their prior knowledge of the families, they had no records of any new unions or births amongst pureblood society unless someone told them or they read it in the Prophet.

"Thank you, Hermione." Ginny's hand was still being tenderly cradled in Hermione's. The blonde whispered a short goodbye before finally relinquishing her hold on the girl and returning to the dungeons.

Her mission was complete. She wrote to the Tom Riddle within the diary and convinced him to pretend to be her. Ginny's infatuation would grow and eventually she would be willing to do anything the Dark Lord asked. All that was left to do was wait.

l..l

Hermione sighed as Draco fell into step beside her. She didn't have a particular destination, she was just enjoying the Scottish countryside.

"Did you know about my parents?" His eyes were dark and shined with unshed tears.

"Know that they're married? Yes, that's common knowledge." She dodged his question smoothly. Hermione knew that her aunt was being abused. She spent more time with her aunt than anyone else, it was impossible not to notice. Draco had to be blind to live in that manor with that man for all these years and _not_ notice.

"You know that's not what I mean." His eyes were serious and she knew there was no more avoidance. She glanced around them as they walked, eavesdroppers could cause a circulation of a few nasty rumours. Then she would have to track them down and threaten to remove their tongues.

"Yes, Draco. Malfoy men are notorious for beating their wives." He scoffed and she rolled her eyes. He was a soft boy, kind hearted on the inside though he wore a steel façade. Without the influence of his father, he could very likely be a good husband and father one day.

"Why would he do that? As much as my mother does for him, he should be better to her." Hermione shrugged. Draco only saw the world in black and white, just like Potter. His father was an unstable man, but Draco only saw his father from afar, his mother always blocked his view.

"It isn't a matter of what they should and shouldn't do, it's a matter of what they do and don't do." Hermione was apparently confusing a lot of people today. Draco gave her a look nearly identical to Potter's. "Look, your father isn't quite right in the head. He's just a few sticks short of mad and your mother has been dealing with that since long before you were born." She shrugged. "You're luckier than your sister ever was." Pale blue eyes widened with shock. Hermione wanted to hex herself, she wasn't suppose to tell him that.

"My sister?" She answered him with another shrug. "No! Tell me, you can't just do that!" Her eyes hardened as his voice rose. He froze, remembering who he was addressing. "I'm sorry, I just really want to know."

"Your parents first born child was a girl, Ursa. Two years ago, I walked into the empty room in the north wing and found your mother. She was clutching a necklace to her chest and sobbing." She stopped mid-step and her eyes glazed as the day appeared before her again.

 _She was at Malfoy Manor for winter holiday. For some reason the manor was empty today, the elves were absent, Draco was at the Zabini Manor, and Lucius was nowhere to be found. Hermione wandered the corridors, looking for her aunt, but as she passed the "forbidden" room in the north wing, she stopped._

 _"I'm so sorry, darling." Her aunt's voice was strained, almost as if she were choking. "I'm so sorry." She peeked in to the room and nearly lost her composure. Her aunt was sitting in the middle of the room, her hair a wild mess, her clothes torn and dirty. Her skin was bruised and cut in some areas._

 _Hermione didn't say a word as she sat beside her aunt. She wrapped her arms around the woman and let her cry. Narcissa quickly pulled Hermione closer to her and sobbed even harder. Narcissa blamed herself for her daughter's death. If she had been there with her when Lucius came to see her, if she had been there to protect her..._

 _She failed as a mother and every year she was reminded of that. Her daughter's house elf, Saffy, made a cake every year on Ursa's birthday. The elf was heart broken over the death of her first master and she grieved this way. Lucius tried to kill the elf, but Narcissa set her free and now every year on December 16th a cake appeared on the dining table. Narcissa was forced to throw it out before Draco saw it, she couldn't bring herself to tell him._

 _"I'm so sorry, Ursa."_

"She would be a year older than me." Hermione watched the tears well in Draco's eyes. "Don't cry out here, you'll disgrace your family name." She remained stone faced, but the sadness welled below the mask.

"I don't know if I care for my family name anymore." Hermione was taken aback. In the next moment, Draco found himself on the ground. His face throbbed and a bright red hand print was forming on his cheek. She had never been so appalled. Family was everything, they protect their family, they honour and support them. The blood of their ancestors was what blew life into still lungs and bore breath from each and everyone of them.

"Never say that to me. If you don't like Malfoy tradition then you have to ability to change it." She kneeled in front of him and leaned as close as possible. "The Malfoy name is despicable, but it is yours and you will not disrespect it. Your ancestors' blood flows through your veins and you don't get to change that." Her eyes burned with a fury and passion he had never seen before. He nodded slowly and allowed Hermione to help him back up.

"Please tell me the rest of the story."

l..l

 _Hermione,_

 _I have exhausted all of my resources and there is one family in existence that still practises ancient magic, the Zabinis._

 _Aunt Cissy_

It seemed fate had it out for her. For some reason the Zabinis were continuously popping up in her life. If her desire for knowledge wasn't so strong she would have told Brys to shove his time somewhere dark, but she didn't possess that sort of control. Now she would have to convince him or his brother to help her and the debt she already owned would without a doubt increase. To learn or not to learn is the question, and she lacked the ability to pass up a chance for new knowledge.

l..l

 _ **All the original chapters have been reposted with better explanations for certain events. Hopefully it's better, I didn't change much so whether you reread it or not, you should be fine. Leave a review, tell me what you think. I'll be gone for the holidays so expect the next update after the New Year.**_


	8. Chapter 8

The boy-who-lived and the child of the Legendary Regulus Black sat across from each other. The witch ignored the younger boy's fidgeting form and skimmed quickly through her texts for next week's classes. Harry Potter stared at the Black heir for a moment before finally opening his mouth, but he closed it moments later. He knew what needed to be said, but he had no clue how to say it.

"How?" Was all he could manage. Luckily Hermione knew what his murmured stammering was about. She looked up from her tome and flicked her wand; a muffling charm surrounded them.

"I lead you to it and you open it." He raised an eyebrow, confusion evident in his emerald eyes. Hermione sighed deeply and continued. "Parseltongue. The chamber of the master may only be unlocked in the tongue of the master." She quoted verbatim from the original text.

"The master?" She rolled her eyes. The boy-who-lived was clueless. She was more likely to believe the cowardice Longbottom boy was the chosen one over this fool. Who else could she possibly be referring to?

"Salazar Slytherin, the creator of the chamber, progenitor of the language of snakes, and 1/4 of the founders of Hogwarts." She hated spelling things out for people. Her business with him needed to go quickly because she could see her lack of patience ruining this situation.

"Can't you just learn the phrase you need." She wanted to hex him, no curse him into oblivion.

"Who taught you?" He began to answer, but she cut him off. "Exactly."

"That doesn't mean you can't learn it." She was screaming on the inside. The muggle world ruined this poor boy. She almost felt enough pity to take him under her wing and teach him, but her Lord would be furious.

"Salazar Slytherin created this language. Only those of his blood can speak it." She explained slowly.

"Like Tom?" He was proud of his first correct answer.

"Don't call him that, filth." She hissed and the boy flashed her a shocked look. Then his emerald eyes filled with suspicion. "I apologise." She whispered. "You-know-who took my father from me. Calling him Tom makes him seem human and he's not, he's a monster." As she finished, tears welled in her eyes, but were never shed. She was taught to manipulate and it seemed it all paid off. Pretending to be an enemy with a similar interest wasn't working, she needed to be a friend with the same long term goal. A solitary tear fell from the boy's eye and he pulled her into a hug.

"He took my mine too." James and Lily Potter, the parents of Harry Potter were an unorthodox couple, one pure and the other born of mud. Her Lord wiped their disgraceful relationship from the earth, but he couldn't kill their filthy spawn. Her own father died for her Lord too and as much as she missed the thought of her father, she couldn't find any sadness in her heart over his death. One day she would die for her Lord too. She hoped to avoid having a family though, then she wouldn't leave a heartbroken spouse and child behind.

"That's why we need to get into the Chamber of Secrets. To stop him." It didn't make any sense. Opening the chamber made him stronger, but the boy didn't know that. He only knew what she told him. She would feed him all the rubbish required to get everything she needed to bring her Bella back.

l..l

Dull blue eyes pierced Hermione. Their shallow depth were as sorrowful as ever, but frustration swum below the surface. The library was quiet as the few students that were still out roamed.

"You're avoiding me." The tall blonde whispered. Her limp hair was pulled up in an attempt to appear pretty. She was trying to earn Hermione's affection, she really was, but her father's death was still resting heavily on her thinning shoulders.

"No." Hermione looked up from her tome, her expression was bored. She wanted to be kind to Daphne in her time of grieving, but she didn't know how. Hermione didn't grieve and that left her confused on the entire situation. "I'm giving you space." She explained.

"What happened to the Hermione that held me while I cried?" Daphne wanted to feel Hermione's arms wrap around her again. She wanted the same comfort that she received at Malfoy Manor.

"I lost my father before I was old enough to know him." Hermione was hesitant to continue, but she knew Daphne was one of the few people she should open up to. They were friends, which Hermione was finally ready to admit, they needed to tell each other things. She kept her life a mystery and now there was no reason to anymore, not with Daphne. "That night I held you because I saw myself and I saw my father." Hermione stared into blue eyes and tried to convey all the emotions she was feeling. "You were feeling a pain that I never got the chance to feel because my father was ripped from my grasp before I could even say my first words properly." Daphne's eyes widened. Everyone knew the story of the Legendary Regulas Black, but no one ever wonder how his loss effected his family. Hermione was hurting and had been for sometime now and Daphne could finally see it. The little girl with abandonment issues, after losing her father and best friend, grew into an sarcastic recluse. She pushed people away before they could leave her. Hermione was finally beginning to seem human.

"I'm so sorry." Daphne wrapped her arms around Hermione. Her father's death hurt her, but she still couldn't imagine that Hermione has felt her entire life. The loneliness had to be soul crushing. Her mother never matched her own intellectual prowess, so her aunt became the next best thing; however, with the constant rivalry between mother and aunt, her time with Narcissa was constantly being cut short. Bellatrix was who the girl truly desired, but that was an impossibility for obvious reasons.

"Don't be. He has been dead for a long time." The Black heir wiped the tears from Daphne's eyes, her own remained dry. They could feel their bond growing, This was a leap forward for them. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. Hermione pressed her lips to Daphne's, it was a chaste kiss, but it meant the world to the younger blonde. Grey eyes watched Daphne carefully before she gathered her things and left the younger girl alone in the library.

l..l

Blaise both hated and admired his brother. Something about his eldest brother earned the approval of their parents regardless of what he did. Brys could get away with murder.

"How is she doing?" The brothers were in the middle of a floo call in the Slytherin commons. He peeked over his shoulder now and then to make sure he was still alone. He couldn't have Hermione walk in and see Brys through the floo, he would probably be tortured.

"She's fine. She's getting closer to the eldest Greengrass though." Brys glared into the fire. Images of Daphne's painful death filled the eldest Zabini's mind.

"And what are you doing about it?" Blaise's eyes grew wide. What was he suppose to do about it? This was his brother's plan, he didn't even want to be involved to this extent and all he was doing currently was watching her.

"Nothing. She's your responsibility." Blaise shrugged. He wasn't going to get involved in his brother's affairs. He wasn't interested in Hermione, she was just his best friend's hateful elder cousin.

"She is mine." Brys growled. "Either help me or I'll tell mother about you and Beatrice's little experiment." Blaise nearly choked. He and his younger sister were trying to create a flying house cat, but it led to the death of their mother's familiar. They lied and told her that the calico ran off and was going to return when she was ready. Their mother was still searching for the cat, whose remains were buried in the family cemetery out back.

"Fine." Brys gave his usual sinister grin. Cooperation was key to good families, or at least that was what Brys was always preaching to him. "And How is she doing with the tome?" Blaise rolled his eyes. The text was in the ancient wizarding language. The Blacks stopped using the ancient language nearly a century ago, the girl obviously had no idea what the text said.

"She can't read it." Brys seemed disappointed, not in Hermione, but in himself.

"I forgot." He needed a solution, the girl had to be at least half way through the text before he returned to her. "Teach her." Blaise scoffed, but Brys shot him a withering glare.

"Brys, just come back. She would rather learn from you than anyone else." He knew his brother couldn't return as of now. He was out trying to find the Dark Lord's horcruxes. He wanted to be the new Dark Lord almost as much as he wanted Hermione by his side.

"I will not repeat myself, little brother." Brys hated being defied, he hated being questioned, Blaise received many the beating from doing just that.

"I apologise, as you wish, it shall be done." He squeezed his eyes shut to stave off the headache forming in his temples. He was once again stuck following his brother's every command.

l..l

Blood was smeared on the walls of the corridor leading to the Great Hall. The clumsily drawn letters struck fear in the impure residents of Hogwarts. The chamber of secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir... beware. Mrs. Norris lie unmoving in front of the wall. Filch was distraught over her condition. Harry gasped and pulled Hermione into an empty classroom.

"Did you know about this?" When he opened the chamber he didn't expect anyone to be endangered. He trusted Hermione and she let him down, he had hope she could be redeemed. He knew her family was dark, but he thought she was trying to be good. He should have known her loyalty was a lie.

"No, Harry." He knew she was being dishonest this time. How could he have been so blind? She is a Black, they hate everyone that isn't pure. He wasn't pure, of course she lied to him. He was so angry with himself, people were going to get hurt and it would be his fault. He allowed himself to be manipulated so easily, this girl took interest in him for a millisecond and he was willing to follow her every command. Was this what the imperious curse felt like? The only difference here was that he willing went along with her plan, he didn't question her intentions in the slightest. After a smile and some friendly banter, he was sold.

When Colin Creevey was petrified, Harry locked himself in his dorm and cried. It was his fault, all of it. He trusted the Black heir and she proved herself unworthy. Next to be petrified was another muggleborn from his own house. Harry's hair was nearly falling out as he worried for his fellow classmates. What was he to do now, their lives were in danger, but there was only one person who had the intelligence to fix all of this and she was the cause.

"You have to fix this." Hermione gave him a dark stare, her eyes piercing through him, as they often did. "Or I'll tell-" She cut him off with a laugh.

"Dumbledore? My mother wastes my family's fortune on charities Potter. She is the most well liked pureblood amongst non-pureblood society." Her face was expressionless as she spoke and it scared Harry even more than when she appeared angry. "Where do you think the money for your robes came for? Dumbledore didn't provide it. My mother was so happy to hear about the boy-who-lived returning to the wizarding world at last." Her eyes glinted with hatred, her mother was wasting their abundant riches on filth. "Everything you have has come from our pocket, Potter. Dumbledore would never actually believe you." Harry deflated, he thought he had the upper hand for once, but it seemed everyone was always a step ahead of him.

"I-" Harry stammered as she turned swiftly to leave, but she stopped.

"And Harry?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

She unsheathed her wand.

"If you ever threaten to tell on me again, I'll package you up and send you to my Lord myself." She flicked her wrist, casting a silencing charm around the boy. "Crucio." She whispered, her heart darkening further. The boy collapsed, his body writhing. He tore at his skin and silently begged for mercy. How dare he threaten her of all people. She was the prodigal child, not him. She was the heir of House Black, the beloved daughter of Regulus Black. She released him and cast a quick lumos, before leaving. Can't have them finding dark magic registered as her most recent spell, what a hassle that would be.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Happy New Year everyone! I hope each of you has a prosperous 2018. Here's chapter 9, I'm not back home yet, but I think all of you have waited long enough for this.**_

Her 15th birthday came with nightmares, every night she was tortured. She saw a pale woman with skin pulled tightly around her exposed skeleton. She was trapped in a dank, cramped cage. Rats ate sores into her skin and her dark curls were unruly and thinning. Her rotted teeth tore through her bottom lip each time she was subjected to the dementors. She spoke erratically and sometimes she mumbled just as crazily during her fitful sleep. She was awoken from her dream with a start and she was faced with sullen blue eyes. The Headmaster ushered her from her bed in her night gown and robe.

"Miss Black, I fear tragedy is upon you." He spoke quiet condolences and made it very clear that she was to come to him for anything she needed. He continued to whisper as he led her through the corridors to his office. Inside was her aunt, her face was one of sorrow, but Hermione saw the triumph in her eyes.

"Your mother is moments away from her last breath." Hermione was moments away from being an orphan. Everything seemed to move so fast, but as time slowed she found herself at her mother's bedside. She didn't want to admit the sadness she felt watching her mother wheeze and cough. She was too weak to even hold her head up. Her frail form reached for Hermione and Narcissa nearly pulled the girl away. Lucius was in the corner sobbing, his crazed eyes watched them and he mumbled to any deity that would listen not to take another person from him. His sister shared his blood, she shared his childhood home and his parents. She was the only person in the world that loved him, not even his wife wanted him; loved him. His child, someone that was meant to want nothing more than to please and appreciate him, feared and hated him.

"My dear child," Josephine smiled weakly, her hand shook as she took Hermione's into hers. "the Black name is yours, you must protect and honour it as your father would." Hermione wouldn't disappoint, she rarely did. She shed no tears for her mother, but for the first time in her entire life she looked at her with compassion. She held her mother's hand gently and leaned forward to wrap her arm around the dying woman.

"Mother, I believe this is for the best." She whispered, her words weren't malicious. Josephine understood, this was the closest to an "I love you" her child would ever get. "I don't agree with any of your ideals, but you are my mother and I don't hate you." She pulled away from the frail form. This was all Josephine wanted before she died. Every moment of dismissal and disdain was worth it because she knew at least she wasn't leaving her child with a heart full of hate.

"You've become a beautiful young woman, Hermione." She smiled at her mother and stroked the side of her face. The skin was thin and nearly translucent. "I'm so proud of you." The moment the woman took her last breath, Narcissa pulled the girl into her arms. Neither spoke, but her aunt knew what sort of pain was coursing through her as she stared blankly at the still form on the bed.

The night grew worse as Lucius opened his mouth and whispered his first coherent sentence.

"The heir has been revealed, Eridanus has come into her inheritance." Her aunt glared at the distraught man, but she knew it was time to tell the girl the truth.

"Follow me, dear." They made their way into the Grimmauld Place study and the moment Hermione saw the family tapestry, she screamed. Not only was there another name above hers, but next to the tapestry stood a woman that looked exactly like her, her hair was their father's but their grey eyes and sharp noses were exactly the same.

"Hello, little sister." Hermione screamed again, this time in rage. Her body vibrated as her least favourite house elf, Delly, bowed before them. The traitorous creature brought this stranger into her home, _hers_ , and presented her like some sort of gift.

"I present, Lady Eridanus Walburga Black, the rightful heir to the Black fortune and the head of the Black line." Hermione brandished her wand in less than a second. Rage boiled in her blood and her hair stood around her shoulders and ears as her magic laced the air. Her heart beat erratically as she flicked her wrist.

"Crucio." Her voice was a deadly whisper. The hate in her heart grew tenfold as her "sister" screamed for her to stop. As the head of the line she had no choice, she was required to follow. Josephine was just a place holder as her father, the head then, died, but as the heir to their line, Eridanus had the control. She held power over Hermione as the Lady of the house. "Aunt Cissy, please tell me-" She didn't know what she wanted to hear, but she just needed this to be made right. This was her future, she was Lady Black, but suddenly she wasn't. She was once again just Hermione Black.

"Your father's first born was illegitimate, but he chose to make her the heir of Black." She placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and was nearly thrown into a wall as her magic crackled and lashed out at the physical contact. "Dear, you must calm down."

"Calm down?" She raised her wand at her aunt, but the look of pure terror in the woman's eyes stopped her. This woman was like a mother to her and she loved her, there were few people in this world that she cared for, but Narcissa was one. "I apologise." She reaches for the woman and was easily accepted, their hands touched and Hermione could feel the soothing comfort of Narcissa's magic licking against her own.

"Hermione, I'm sorry you had to find out like this." Eridanus stepped toward the girl and wrapped her arms around her. Hermione wasn't allowed to harm the woman, she wasn't allowed to kill her or tortured her as she wanted to; she wanted to more than anything. "I promise this isn't the end, Hermione." The woman attempted to comfort her, but the longer she spoke the angrier Hermione became. Not even her aunt's soft thumb stroking slowly over her hand could placate the pure hate that began to grow in her blackening heart. "Nothing will change for you, I won't make you do anything against your will." That was a lie, Tonks - or Eridanus- knew the girl was knee deep in the dark arts and no such activities would occur in her household. She had the control now and Hermione feared that as much as she envied it. At least her adulterous father procreated with another pureblood, the woman understood the family dynamics. With how busy her father always was and the timing of his death, there was no way he could have taught her himself and pureblood traditions and the ancient magic that wove families together was all kept a secret from the impure.

"Where do your loyalties lie?" Hermione felt like she already knew the answer. This woman was never at social gatherings for their Lord, nor was she anyone of importance because her aunt was diligent in introducing her to every single one. This woman was a stranger and it was obvious she would have to become acquainted with her and her filthy customs.

"With Harry Potter."

l..l

The news spread quickly about the child of Regulus Black and Andromeda Tonks. Eridanus nearly purified Andromeda amongst the pureblood society. Some saw her as the filthy blood traitor whore that she was and others considered her a loyal member to the Black line for bearing the heir of the Legendary Regulus Black. She was a bastard, but she was legitimised at birth, somehow that made her Hermione's equal. She was pure Black, this made her Hermione's sister.

Andromeda was welcomed with open arms by a few purebloods. Invitations to balls and masquerades began to roll in and the woman eventually moved into 12 Grimmauld Place along with her daughter and niece. Ted Tonks filed for divorce the moment the news was public and the separation was celebrated amongst the pure society. The filthy blood traitor whore, or Aunt Andy as Hermione was being forced to call her, was suddenly as permanent in her life as Eridanus was.

When she returned to Hogwarts 3 weeks later, her classmates were privy to the change in leadership within her home. Another thing they noticed was a change in her magic, it was even darker. Her bright grey eyes were dark with anger, power radiated around her as she walked through the commons and not even her followers were courageous enough to approach her. She needed release, she needed to be free of this anger for just a short moment. Her fury was transferring into accidental magic and she couldn't lose control like that, not after working so hard for it.

"Daphne." She purred into the girl's ear. The blue eyed Slytherin was caught completely off guard by this new behaviour. Her once beautiful self was returning and Hermione wanted to destroy it. She wanted to hurt the girl and she knew Daphne would take it and come crawling back to her for more. "I missed you while I was away." Her lips brushed the taller girl's ear as she whispered to her. "Let me show you how much I missed you, love." They slipped into the 4th year girls' dormitory and every girl in there was quickly shooed out.

"Hermione, I must admit, I'm quite shocked." Daphne was nervous, she was mentally preparing herself for what she thought would be the best moment of her life. The former Black heir had little patience for the stalling though. Her lips latched onto the taller girl's neck, her teeth scrapped angrily over the flesh before pulling it between them and biting down. Daphne squealed, but she made no attempt to pull away, she knew the older girl was in a dangerous mood.

"I don't want you to talk, I want you to scream." Her fingers dug into the younger girl's hips and pulled her closer. Their lips clashed and Daphne tried to win their battle for dominance, but a sharp bite to her bottom lip put her quickly in her place. A trail of blood trickled down her chin and Hermione licked it before sucking on the wound. Daphne whimpered, but she knew not to complain.

They stumbled over to Hermione's bed and they tore at each other's robes with purpose. The flick of a wrist kept the noises Daphne was making from escaping. Hermione would lay claim to this girl and she wouldn't let anyone else touch or have her until she had properly ruined her. Her rage was undying and the younger blonde would feel every millilitre of it. The former Black heir was inexperienced in this particular field, but she took charge and showed no fear. Her thumb stroked slowly over one of the girl's hardened nipples as her hand cupped a developing breast.

"You're so beautiful Daph, so beautiful and all mine." She sucked the blue eyed girl's ear lobe into her mouth and nipped it before soothing it with her tongue. "No one can touch you like this." Her fingers found the girl's surprisingly wet core and brushed over it with the tips. She took no interest in the girl's pleasure as she forced three fingers into her. She promised to make her scream and she did, she screamed in agony as Hermione bit into her neck again. She drew blood and left a deep imprint of teeth. She left bloody kisses down the girl's body and as she came eye level with Daphne's glistening pink lips she moaned softly. Her lips latched around the girl's swollen clit and brushed her teeth over it. Her fingers thrusted faster and harder as Daphne's back arched and she whimpered pitifully.

"Please Hermione." She was loving this, the pain was terrible, but her body couldn't get enough. She wanted more, she needed more. "More, I need more." She couldn't describe it, her cheeks reddened and Hermione laughed at her embarrassment. The vibrations on her clit were another new experience, it was a very pleasant one. Sweat beaded on her forehead as her peak neared and Hermione brought her closer and closer, but she never let her over the edge. "Please Hermione!" She begged, her hands fisting the duvet and her thighs clamping around the older girl's head. The moment she peaked she felt a wand pressed to her clit and she was writhing in pure agony.

"Crucio, crucio, crucio." Hermione chanted it like a prayer and she relished the screams. Daphne begged for mercy now, her back arched just as beautifully and Hermione couldn't get enough. She felt a shiver run up her spine and a feel of euphoria passed through her body, her mind hazed as she finally released the girl. Hermione collapsed on the shaking body, she was somewhat sated, as the girl below her cried and whimpered. "It's okay, Daphne. Remember how much you wanted to be mine, how much you wanted to be with me?" The girl nodded stiffly and sniffled. "This is what it feels like, but now it's too late to turn back." Another laugh filled the air, Daphne was terrified.

Hermione healed the wound on the girl's neck, a dark bruise was the only indication of what occurred between them. She cleaned the dried blood from the shaking body as well and when Daphne stepped out of the room even the seventh year girls were eager to get into Hermione's bed. The wobble of Daphne's legs and the exhaustion on her face were a clear sign of a good time, to them at least.

Hermione was propositioned many times after that and she didn't turn a single one down. She was a natural as many of them told her and they kept coming back.

"Hermione, can I speak with you?" Daphne hadn't spoken to her in nearly a month, though she was quite busy with studying and girls, she still kept a close eye on the younger blonde. She meant what she said, Daphne belonged to her until she was tired of her or she found someone better to torture.

"I haven't seen much of you lately." The taller blonde was spending her time with the Gryffindors and Hermione couldn't be more displeased. If she didn't know better she would say Daphne was forsaking the cause, but she did know better. Becoming a blood traitor was an offence punishable by death, that is a death following weeks of pain and misery.

"I can't do this with you." _What the hell was she saying?_ Hermione blinked slowly before quirking a brow. "I mean that I can't be with you. My cousin adopted my sister and I, you know."

"What does this have to do with us?" Hermione slipped her hand into Daphne's and pulled the taller blonde close. She pressed her lips gently to blue eyed girl's and smiled as the younger girl melted into it. The girls in the commons glared daggers at the Greengrass heir and she shrunk back from Hermione. The Slytherin girls had reacted that way to Daphne quite a bit lately. Their eyes always watched her and their voices always followed her, each speaking insults and promises of harm should she continue seeing the former Black heir.

"My cousin is Hestia Jones, a well know member of the Order, she has forbidden my involvement with you and the Dark Lord." She whispered, Hermione stiffened and suddenly she too was glaring daggers at the Greengrass girl. This was treason of the highest calibre. She knew Daphne well enough to know that this was the farthest thing from a joke, she was leaving the cause. She was throwing away everything their parents fought for in the first war.

"Daphne, you don't just get to leave. Your cousin is a filthy blood traitor with no loyalty to her pure ancestors." Bright grey eyes returned to their former darkness. This was the younger girl's last chance to change her mind, her last chance to laugh and swear it was all said in good fun.

"Please Hermione, you can come with me. The light is so kind, they're so gentle." She wrapped her arms around the former Black heir, a soft look on her face. "We could be free from all of this, we won't have to kill or destroy." Hermione growled, her nails digging into the girl's exposed flesh on her arms. That was all she needed to hear. Daphne wasn't worthy of being hers, she was a filthy blood traitor and Hermione would make sure she did nothing but suffer for the rest of her days.

"Fred, George!" She shouted as she shoved Daphne to the ground. She waited a short moment before she drew her wand. Her eyes fell over each face in the room, they watched her with rapt attention. Her wand twirled through her fingers with an agility that only one witch in existence could. She was channeling Bellatrix as she walked in circles around the felled girl. "We have a blood traitor on our hands everyone." The commons filled with boos and many of the students unsheathed their wands in anger. "She promises a better life on the side of filth, she begs that we join her." Hermione laughed manically.

"Death to all blood traitors, the gene pool doesn't need more mudblood sympathising filth!" The common room was filled with malicious chants, each student taking their turn to insult the once prestigious Greengrass heir. The twins were immediately flanking Hermione, their hands restraining Daphne as the Slytherins circled her.

"May we..." George smirked as he began.

"Do the..." Fred chuckled as he continued.

"Honours?" Their faces became a mask of darkness as they finished together.

"Please, Hermione! Don't let them do this to me!" Daphne begged so pitifully, as she struggled against the twins' grasp. The girl couldn't be killed on Hogwarts grounds without someone, namely Hermione, being blamed for it. A group killing was out of the question, but the girl would be punished.

"No, I think I'll take care of her." She ignored the younger blonde's pleas, an even darker glint filling her eyes. "Draco, come here." The boy was terrified, just like his father always was, but he tried his hardest to seem indifferent. His eyes shone with sympathy as he stared at the trembling blonde on the stone floor. "You see this?" Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder, she was gentle but firm. "This is what happens when one chooses to disrespect their family name." His eyes glazed as his mind replayed their conversation about his parents.

"Hermione has..." Fred bounced eagerly.

"A new curse..." George elbowed the blue eyed girl to get her attention.

"To show us!" The twins grinned sinisterly as they finished. Hermione remembered why she allowed them to follow her around when moments like this arose. They never ceased to surprise her with their loyalty to the dark and to her Lord. They were the firsts of the Weasley line that truly appreciated the purity of their blood. They would make quite impressive servants to her Lord when he was restored to full power.

"What is it?" The Slytherins watched Hermione curiously.

"This curse marks filth for what they truly are. It works differently for everyone, but should one pure of blood and loyal to it be a victim of this curse, the effects will be reflected from them onto its caster." Silver and green robes rustled as everyone moved closer to the Black heir. They cheered for her, they wanted to see this ancient magic, something everyone was forbidden from casting. The tome Zabini gifted to her was becoming more and more useful. Blaise was reluctant to teach her, but he seemed to be growing fond of the Slytherin Queen with each passing session. He watched the proceedings silently from the back of the circle, his brother would be pleased with the girl's progress. Every word she read nurtured the darkness in her soul, soon she would have a power rivalled only by the second in command of the Dark Lord herself.

Her wrist moved slowly, but it was precise, each flick entranced her audience. Gasps filled the room as the tip of her wand began to glow crimson and Daphne began to seize. "Open her blouse." Hermione grinned as the chest and stomach of the shirt grew dark with blood. As skin was exposed she finished the ancient curse. "Sanguis litteræ insidiatoris." The girl writhed and screamed as the curse ended, her blood rolled off of her once perfect skin and pooled around her thighs as the twins forced her into a sitting position. Written in elegant script across the girl's chest were the words Traitor of the Pure.

"The curse has marked her as a blood traitor. She truly has betrayed us all." Each member of Slytherin watched the girl with disdain as she tried to close the ripped blouse and scurry away. She was embarrassed and sad, she thought after giving herself to Hermione, after giving her virginity and her happiness to the young dark witch that maybe the older girl would finally love her. Her body felt dirty and abused every time she thought of what the former Black heir did to her, but she hoped it would be enough to win her. It seemed nothing was ever enough.

l..l

 _ **Leave a review and let me know what you think. This chapter was going to be twice as long, but I decided to separate the portions into two chapters because this felt like a good stopping point. Thanks for reading.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**It's been awhile since I updated, I know. I write every chapter about 2 to 4 times before I can decide on a version of it that I actually like. This is version 3 of this chapter haha.**_

Hermione entered DADA and sent a polite smile to the man who stood in the middle of the room. Remus Lupin was a werewolf, she knew it the moment she set eyes on him. She entertained the idea of turning him in for a few days, but she thought she would have more fun learning from him. His face bore the claw like scars of his lifelong struggle against the beast that paced the boundaries of his mind since the age of 6. Similar scars littered his forearms, along with the occasional bite mark.

His hair was combed neatly and his face held a soft smile, but it didn't stop the students from watching him warily. They filled the desks furthest from him and tried to avoid eye contact, but Hermione sat in the very front. He felt the way her eyes pierced him, it was like the girl was reading his mind, but he knew his mental walls weren't being ripped down. Her eyes said that she knew his deepest darkest secrets, but he couldn't quite understand how.

"Line up class, today each of you will face your greatest fear." A few of the students gulped audibly. Remus surveyed their reactions and was stunned and somewhat frightened by the smirk his most eager pupil had etched across her face. She was the first of the Slytherins to rise from her seat and took her place behind a Gryffindor girl. The unfortunate lions were being paired with the snakes for DADA this term and very few of them weren't displeased.

Each took their turn, their fears were ridiculous things. She saw spiders, some odd beasts called clowns, poor marks, and Snape, who was unsurprisingly a common fear. Then it was her turn, she stepped forward confidently and waited as the bogart began to change form. Before her stood a malnourished woman, her dark eyes were sunken and hollow. Her high cheek bones looked prepared to burst from her thin flesh as the skin clung tightly to them. Rotten teeth were revealed as dry, cracked lips pulled upward into a lunacy ridden grin.

"My dove." The woman whispered as her eyes bore into the young witch. Grey eyes widened with terror. She stared upon this replicated Bellatrix with sorrow. Pale flesh peeled and melted from the frail skeleton, but the creature continued to whisper to her. It stepped closer and with each step it withered further. Thinning Black curls slowly detached from the creature and fell to the ground, turning to ash as they fell. She was frozen as this vision was etched into her mind. Iron bars appeared before the creature and chains shot from the walls to restrain it. Its form was confined and it writhed and screamed as its soul was sucked from its body by the dementors that began to surround it.

"No." She whispered, her eyes filled with tears that she refused to shed. One dementor grew closer, its soulless eyes locked onto the creature. Its mouth opened and a screech turned the air cold. She watched the soul detach from the frail figure and her knees nearly gave out, she was powerless. She couldn't lose her again, she couldn't. Her wand immediately rose, but the spell that flew from it caused the bogart to release the most heart wrenching sound anyone in the room had ever heard. It slumped onto its side and its true form was revealed.

"You've killed it." Remus was awestricken.

"Is that even possible?" A Gryffindor boy cowered away from the scene he just witnessed. His expression spoke of the nightmares that would haunt him for the next few nights, if not longer.

"Class is dismissed." Every student, Gryffindor and Slytherin alike, scurried from the room as if on fire. "May I speak with you, Ms. Black?" The werewolf could feel her magical aura around him, it thinned the air and built an uncomfortable pressure around them all.

"There is nothing to be discussed, Professor." She swept quickly from the room. The stone set of her jaw did nothing to hide the anguish in her eyes. He needed to report this to Dumbledore. He didn't recognise the woman that the bogart formed, but it was obvious she was locked away. Perhaps this child could be saved from a similar fate.

In the weeks that followed, he was continuously met by an eager Hermione Black. She asked every question she could about him, but she gave no sign of sharing any information about herself.

Dumbledore was certain this girl would be an asset to the light, but Remus could feel the darkness surrounding her. With each day that passed, he questioned if the girl was worth saving. Even with Tonks becoming her guardian, she seemed to reject any and every attempt the light made to reach out to her. McGonagall was turned away when she offered the girl the opportunity to become her student apprentice. Flitwick and Vector found similar results. It was unorthodox to ask such a question of a 4th year, but no one could deny her power. It was raw and when her emotions grew strong it became nearly unstable. She needed to be properly guided.

"Ms. Black, would you consider becoming my student apprentice?" She didn't hesitate to accept his offer. She spent her weekends assisting with lesson plans, which gave him the chance to become further acquainted with her mannerisms. Her humour was morbid, though it appealed to him. His own dark past had warped him socially and he found the girl refreshing. She laughed when he spoke lightly of grotesque topics. She was intelligent in a way that none of his previous students had ever been.

He found himself becoming more and more fond of the child. Her exterior was cold, but occasionally she seemed almost human. As he grew closer to her, his need to safe her from the darkness was reborn. He still knew little of her life outside of Hogwarts, but the sorrow that appeared in her eyes some days and her clenched fist were sign enough that she deserved some happiness.

l..l

Grey eyes drooped with exhaustion as a worn body slumped stiffly on a dust covered mattress. Unkempt hair fell limply against feverish pale skin. He hissed through his teeth as he jostled his broken ribs, his body protested with every breath and his head ached with how much effort he used to remain upright. Azkaban had ruined him, but he was finally on the final stretch, if he made it through this he could return home and recuperate. Josephine would welcome him home with open arms and a soft smile. She would pat his head as she use to, she'd whisper in his ear and praise his strength. _You made it, Sirius. You've finally come home_. She'd laugh with him like she use to.

He laid across the bed and closed his eyes. He imagined the warmth of his old bed, the sweet aroma of the plants around his bedroom. He imagined the taste of homemade streusel muffins and lemon cakes, he swore he could almost smell it. The dust in the room clogged his nostrils and burned his lungs, but through it was the scent of home, it surrounded him with the calm and happiness he lacked for all these years. He would walk through the door and see bright blue eyes, shining with tears of joy.

"Josephine." He whispered brokenly. She was really gone, wasn't she? A choked sob fell from cracked lips and his aching body curled in on itself. She was a beacon of light in his dark hell, but now his only reminder of her was a stone grave. Her body rotted in its new home, its lonely place in the ground. "Where have the years gone?"

Dull eyes stared at the ceiling as tears poured from them. He wasn't allowed a single letter, he couldn't keep his picture of her, her face faded in his memory. His escape was for her, he needed to know if it was true; if she had truly left him. He took her happiness and she slowly withered away, she had no reason to go on. She probably wouldn't want to see him even if she was still here. He sent the other half of her soul to the abyss. "I'm so sorry." His every word felt like blades were ravaging his throat. His bitterness seeped into the wounds and burned him. When was Sirius Black going to find his happiness?

"Murderer!" He sighed and rolled slowly from the rotting mattress. Green eyes glared hatefully at him, a scrawny boy with messy hair and broken glasses stood before him. He forced a smile as determination filled the eyes of the boy-who-lived. Courage was a Gryffindor's only weapon when facing the unknown.

"Harry Potter." He whispered, the boy he dragged in nearly an hour ago stirred from his place in the corner. His dark blue eyes snapped open as he remembered the earlier events. It was finally time to kill the pest that put him away for all those years.

"I'll kill you!" Harry held his wand tightly, but Sirius could see how his hand trembled. This child was suppose to save them from the darkest wizard in history? That was hardly plausible. He flinched as the convict bared his rotten teeth. A rat scurried across the floor toward the exit and Sirius dove for it.

"Filthy beast." He growled as the creature squirmed in his hands.

"Let go of him!" The Weasley boy yelled as he staggered to his feet. They were making this far more difficult than it needed to be. Sirius rolled his eyes and threw the creature as hard as he could against the nearest wall. It grunted and slowly changed shape.

"It's been a long time, mongrel." Grey eyes brightened slightly as a dirty, buck toothed man grew from the slumped form of the rat.

"Peter Pettigrew?" The Potter boy gasped as the man began to beg at Sirius' feet. His hunched form cowered as the wizard sneered at him.

"Sirius, you know I meant no harm, my friend." The boy-who-lived was so shocked by the sight that he froze. His eyes watched the scene with pure confusion. The Weasley boy seemed sick, his face grew greener the longer he stared at the filthy grovelling man.

"I have spent the last decade in Azkaban because of you, Pettigrew." His body was broken, his mind was tired and coming apart at the seams. If he didn't move quickly all his energy would be exhausted on this conversation.

"The Potters had to die." He whispered, his eyes flickering nervously toward the boy-who-lived. His back grew straighter and a bold glint flashed through his muddy brown eyes. "My Lord allowed you to live as a favour to your brother, the Great and Loyal Regulus Black, because his little brother was nothing more than a blood traitor." He growled and kicked the round man. Peter hissed in pain, but made no attempt to move from his place on the splintering floor. A wand rose, it shook in trembling hands. Hate coursed through the owner, but he couldn't get the curse to roll from his leaden tongue. Sirius rolled his eyes, of course the boy couldn't even speak the curse. With all the intent built in his system, he still didn't have the strength to kill another.

"Reducto." Peter shrieked as another of his fingers was blasted from his body. Blood splattered over the moulding floor and foot steps made their way toward the sound from outside the room. Remus Lupin burst in with bravado, but as his eyes fell over Sirius, he became timid. He eased slowly into the room, his wand switching between the frail Azkaban escapee and the filthy bucktoothed man that was once one of his best mates. Even considering the circumstances of Sirius' life, the wolf had become a good friend of his. The years in Azkaban made Remus wonder if he ever truly knew Sirius, but he knew the beast within him would never allow him to regret meeting the man.

His appearance was ignored as shouts sounded from the hidden passage into the Shrieking Shack. As the door swung open, Sirius found himself staring into eyes identical to his own. He released a strangled gasp as his niece, the one he had only seen photos of, climbed into the room and joined the group of people that were pointing wands his way. Her eyes narrowed and for a moment he swore he was seeing his brother. The way her jaw clenched and her wrist curved, only slightly, inward as she aimed, it was all Regulus. This was the last scene between his brother and himself, the showdown that turned him into a murdered. Fratricide, the ultimate betrayal.

He hardly noticed the trembling blonde boy that stumbled in after her. He knew a Malfoy anywhere and this child was the epitome of Malfoy; shaking hands, paired with pale blue eyes, platinum blond tresses, and weak knees. He nearly laughed, this boy and Potter were the same, but it seemed Gryffindor taught the boy-who-lived bravery, while Slytherin taught the scrawny blonde to cower. His niece seemed to flourish in the den of snakes though, her shoulders squared and eyes set unwaveringly on himself. Fear didn't run in the Black family and it seemed the girl took almost wholly from his side of the family.

"Hello uncle." Hermione sneered with the highest calibre of hatred shining in her eyes. He had never seen something so terrifying. She made no move to protect herself when Potter's wand changed courses. As she entered the room, his faux courage nearly dissolved as grey eyes lit was malicious intent. "Azkaban has been harsh to you, though it's no less than you deserve." A smirked curled the corner of her lips and the dark aura of her magic swirled in the air.

"Ms. Black, you shouldn't be here." Remus tried to sound stern, but he couldn't bring himself to be upset with her. He ignored the Malfoy child, his attention was focused on his apprentice. He had never seen such anger in her eyes. He was unfamiliar with the hatred that radiated through her dark aura. His beast bristled at the way she stared at Sirius, but he held himself from attacking.

Pettigrew made to escape, his body morphing back into its rodent form. The occupants of the decaying room chased after him. Though Hermione followed, it wasn't without reluctance. She wasn't here for the rat, he noted the way her eyes sliced through Sirius like blades. He was her target, but no business could be finished with Sirius until the halfblood animagus was properly handled.

They each scurried through the secret passage into the night. The rat would have been caught, if not for Remus Lupin. Under the light of the full moon his body began its slow and agonising transition into his wolf's skin. His face extended and his teeth enlarged. He threw his head back and howled as short hairs began to sprout across his skin and his bones broke. His flesh distorted around the shifting within him.

"Harry, you must run!" Sirius yelled. As the wolf completed its change, the thin man shifted into his animagus form. Two fur covered creatures clashed and growls filled the night. Hermione's face screwed into a scowl as she watched her uncle protect the chosen one. She rolled her eyes before joining into the effort, her Lord would be furious if the boy died here.

"Well didn't you hear him, Potter? Run, unless you wish to become the wolf's next meal." She didn't give him much of a choice. Her fingers curled into the back of his collar and pulled him roughly toward the castle, the Weasley boy shouting and stumbling behind them. She wasn't planning to stop, that is until she heard a wet snap and a gargled whimper. She pushed the boy into Draco's arms and took off into the forest. Her legs propelled her forward with grace. Tripping would mean failing, a single second's delay could kill the boy-who-lived and her cousin as well. She didn't care if the red haired pest met his gruesome end, but sadly in the process of saving the first two, he too would be saved.

As she reached the bottom of the hill that led up to the Shrieking Shack, she released a very unladylike sound. One her aunt would surely scold her for, should she learn of it. Her mouth widened and her head fell backward as she howled. She just needed Remus' attention long enough for the boys to make it into the castle. Her legs began to move again as she heard heavy foot falls growing near. She tossed an incendio over her shoulder, hoping to light a few trees to slow the beast a bit.

l..l

Hermione watched in disdain as the thin and dirty man pulled himself from the ground. His grey eyes stared back at her with determination, with a life that she wished to snuff out. Her wand rose a second time, the cruciatus curse dancing across the tip of her tongue.

"Please no, I'll do anything you ask." His voice was a gasped whisper. Her eyes raked over his form and she almost felt pity when she caught sight of his protruding ribs through his torn Azkaban jumpsuit. The moonlight pouring into the astronomy tower made his skin even paler than the years in prison had. His beard was a mess; scruffy, tangled, and dirty.

"I know because cowards would trade anything to save their life. I want to know if you still live and breathe for our Lord." Her voice was calm, but her grey eyes reflected the hatred that filled her body. She saw the hesitance in the tension of his shoulders. His mouth opened and closed as thoughts swirled around his head. Impatience welled and with a flick of her wrist she set his body convulsing once again. She couldn't afford for him to die or fall victim to insanity so his torture was cut short, much to her chagrin. "Answer me, filth, I don't wish to stand here all night!" She sneered, irritation becoming apparent on her face.

"I will follow our Lord til my last breath." He wheezed pathetically. She rolled her eyes, she knew he was lying, it was his specialty. His body twitched ever so often as the curse's aftereffects worked through his system.

"You're full of shite Sirius, Aunt Cissy always said you were a disgrace to purebloods." Her grey eyes bore through him, sifting through his mind and finding lie after lie. His occlumency was nearly as disgraceful as his blood traitorous love for the halfbreed, Lupin. He held many mistakes on his shoulders, but one their Lord could never forgive was his closeness to the werewolf. His request for his mark was swiftly declined because their Lord couldn't have someone like Sirius Black representing his empire.

"Please! Hermione, my dear niece, do not let your aunt brainwash you any further. Your father-"

"My father is dead!" She screamed and cast an incendio, setting his body ablaze. She felt unexplainable joy as his body burned, but she soon put him out, as her Lord would be angry if the man were to die. He continued to scream long after the fire was snuffed, his flesh was peeling and puss leaked from the blisters that popped each time he moved. "Leave Sirius. That filthy feathered creature is waiting for you on the outskirts of the forest. Uncle Lucius was going to have him slaughtered for injuring Draco, but with a bit of persuasion on my part, I was able to save that dastardly creature from my uncle and you from our Lord's wrath. See this as the only kindness that you will receive from me, uncle." She spat at his feet and turned to leave. "The sun will rise in three hours, Dumbledore has delayed Filch and his bloody cat until then, get out. Next time we meet, we will be enemies and I will not hesitate to end you." She laughed before leaving Sirius to crawl out of the castle and into the forest.

 _ **l..l**_

 _ **Review and let me know what you think.**_


	11. Chapter 11

The summer came quickly. Lupin was fired and Hermione lost her apprenticeship, though the other professors never stopped in their attempts to make her theirs. It wasn't until Eridanus found her on the train platform that everything from earlier in the year finally came rushing back. She lost a piece of herself after learning of the secrets her father kept. He was a king to her as a child and up until recently, she never thought a single negative thing about him. Now she couldn't even look at his portrait, the one she wasn't allowed to see until after her mother finally passed. It always apologised for the lies, it begged for her forgiveness. She was tempted to rip it from the wall and burn it, but her sister wouldn't allow it. _Her_ _sister_ , the words still felt acidic, even as a thought they scorched her.

Her mother never had a portrait made for herself. It bothered Hermione, as much as she wished she could cast this woman from her life in the past, now she just wished she could see her once more. She wished she could hear her mother's voice, she hated the sweet bell-like sound as she grew. She was a motherless child now, she was an ingrate and there was no way to atone. The symptoms of depression were sharp and agonising to her mind and body. It seemed nothing could save her from this feeling, this feeling of self-hatred.

Days of anger and wallowing brought her to her mother's grave. The grave stone stood proudly on the far end of the Black estate, next to her father's empty grave. Her finger's ran slowly over the stone, it was smooth. An angel was carved into the stone, below it lie her mother's name and a phrase Hermione only remembered vaguely from her past. _Loyalties lie within the darkness_. Hermione believed her mother to be a traitorous wretch for financially supporting Harry Potter and treating the impure as equals. Her mind wasn't changing about those things, but she wondered if maybe her mother wasn't as bad as she first thought. Her mother, even after years of hatred from Hermione, still loved her daughter.

"Were you right, mum?" As much as she didn't want to cry, a tear dripped from her face and onto the grey stone below her. "Two of the people I loved, that I knew would never betray me, did." She collapsed, her knees hit the dirt and her fist clenched around nothing. "Is it always like this? I thought you were the traitor, but you've always been beside me." The tears flowed, she hated herself. She was weak, pathetic in all the ways Bella wasn't. She couldn't hold her emotions in, they swarmed inside of her like angry bees. They stung every exposed nerve, singeing her mind and body. She promised to never shed a tear, she swore to be as strong as Bella, the Bella from everyone's memories.

How could she be so stupid, how could she be so blind to the games they were playing. She cried, there was no sound, only silent sobs and streams of tears that mixed with the rain that began to fall. "Aunt Cissy was my hero, mum. She was everything I wanted to be. I learned so much from her. When she taught me to lie and manipulate, she said it was to protect me. I never thought I would have to protect myself from her." She stopped sending her aunt letters weeks ago, she didn't even open the ones she received. She didn't want to look at Narcissa, she didn't want to hear her voice or even breathe the same air as her. The woman tried to come to Grimmauld Place many times since Hogwarts let out for the summer and Hermione refused to see her.

Hands fell onto her shoulders. Calloused hands ran over her shoulders and warm arms pulled her into a hug. Her sister tried to soothe her, but nothing could soothe the betrayal she felt. Her heart hurt, it was almost as bad as her last night with Bella. One of her only memories of Bella, a memory that belonged to her and her only. It wasn't one that she saw through the pensieve. She remembered Bella smiling and telling her not to cry and here she was doing just that, crying.

"Is this what it felt like for you? When you had to watch my aunt turn me away from you. I'm so sorry, mum." She didn't apologise, she didn't hurt, not like this, not on the outside. What was she doing, baring herself to the enemy, to this outsider. She clutched at the waterlogged clothes of her sister though, and she let the pain consume her. "You said they lied, you said the people I trusted most would one day lose it and I thought you were jealous. I wanted to hate you because Aunt Cissy hated you, but you never deserved it." She pushed away from her sister and pressed her hands to the stone. She traced her mother's name and the tears fell harder. "I looked in your eyes on your deathbed and pretty much told you to just die already and you were just happy that I was with you." Her fists clenched again, her nails dug into the flesh of her palms as anger welled.

"Hermione." Eridanus, no she liked to be called Tonks, tried to pulled her away from the grave. "We have to go home, you'll get sick sitting in the rain like this." Tonks wanted to tell her how much Josephine loved her. How much their father loved her. She wanted to tell her that she wasn't alone, but she didn't need to be placated, she needed to finally release these emotions. Her little sister wasn't a bad person, she was just caught in the cycle that every child born to a dark family was. Tonks couldn't begin to understand her pain. She didn't know secrets or lies and most importantly she didn't know the pain of the dark. She wanted this pain to consume the girl, for the evil to finally show its true colours and push the girl into the light. This was the chance they were waiting for, the chance to gain the advantage in this never ending war.

Grey eyes grew dull and magic began to crackled around them. She needed to finally lose control, that was the only way she would grow stronger. She had to know weakness and Hermione prided herself on strength so much that she didn't understand it. Tonks would be her shoulder, she would play to role of her rock. Kindness was their best tactic if they were going to make Hermione theirs. The light needs her, the light needs her power.

"Do it." Tonks knew the pain was coming, but it didn't prepare her for the power. The dark magic woven through their family prevented the head of the house from being hurt by magic cast against them. She overrode that magic by giving the girl permission. "Is that the best you can do?" She wheezed through the pain. The girl's nails dug deeper into her palms, drawing blood. Then she finally broke, she curled into herself on the muddy ground and her sobs grew louder. She trembled in the cold and her breath grew ragged. Tonks felt the pain peak then it suddenly disappeared. She twitched as she rolled into her knees and pulled her little sister back into her arms. The sobs slowly calmed and the tears stopped, but the two remained there. On the ground, their clothes caked with mud as the rain pelted them.

"Why?" Why did it hurt so much, why were her father and aunt traitors?

"Because loyalties lie in the darkness." It was true, but it changed nothing. She swore herself to Bellatrix, she swore herself to the dark and especially to their cause. She still felt hope, Bella would never do this to her. "The light-" Hermione quickly cut her off.

"The dark is my home, I was born and raised here." She stood, her legs shook slightly, but she steeled herself. Tonks was losing her chance, she tried too soon and this failure could set her back. "These people are my family, you were raised with the light. You would never leave them, your friends and family and I would never leave mine." Tonks was using her too. Her sister preyed on her weakness in hopes of converting her to the light. She shook her head, they were no better. Dumbledore and his lot just wanted her for her power, they didn't care about her.

She turned her back to her sister and stared up at the Black Manor. She had never been inside. This was Bella's home, the place she grew up in and a portion of the fortune she earned when her father died. Hermione was forbidden from this place, it held secrets just like her father's portrait. She was learning quickly that there were many things she still didn't know about her family. Many of the places she was forbidden from before her mother's death were only restricted areas because of the truths she wasn't suppose to know. She wondered what Bella's secrets were. She could never hate Bellatrix, but she still wondered if the woman was as trustworthy as she once thought.

The wards around the house let her in, but they repelled Tonks. _Good_ , she thought, this was Bella's home and Tonks and her filth didn't belong here. This was a sacred place and only the worthiest of people could enter. She found no sanctuary in her own home, the home she now shared with her sister and whomever she chose to bring into it. Her grandmother's portrait screamed bloody murder every time one of those bloodtraitors entered. Her screams were the loudest and the angriest when her eyes set on Tonks. Her son's bastard had become the new head of her most noble line and there was nothing she could do from the grave.

"Welcome home, young Miss." A house elf greeted her the moment she stepped passed the threshold. The dust in the air was thick, but the manor felt like home. She remembered the manor from her aunt's memories, though it was dark and dirty from years without life, it still buzzed with magic. "I's Savvy, Mistress Black told me you was coming." The elf was old, but her turquoise eyes held light and youth. Her pillow case was crimson silk with golden trimming and the small patch of hair on her head was combed and styled. She was a well made house elf, far prettier than any of her uncle's.

"When did she say I was coming?" Bellatrix was in Azkaban and had been for the last 11 years.

"I's think it was 1981, young Miss." Of course, just prior to her capture, Bellatrix made sure her wards and elves were prepared for Hermione's arrival. "Master Black is so happy you's here, he wish to see you." She didn't question it, she just followed after the elf.

Her eyes took in every detail of the manor for the first time with her own eyes. The grey haze that clouded memories could never do justice to the real thing. It was grand. The manor was decorated in black, red, and gold. Silk ribbons were wound around statues that hung from the ceiling in the foyer. Each step on the staircase had its own design, but as she looked down the stairs from the very top, each design formed a larger one of two wizards duelling. The walls had alcoves every few metres with either a portrait or a bust of one of the Black ancestors. Each portrait greeted her; their words were accepting, their smiles were comforting.

This manor felt like home, even with the air laced so dangerously with dark runic magic, she felt them embracing her. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and the pain that rested heavily in her chest gave way to joy. She could feel the dark memories tucked away in the corners of each room, but they didn't frighten her. This place held a sort of history that her own home lacked. It held the ghosts of the past, but each smiled upon her and welcomed her with warm tones and soft eyes.

"Hermione." A gasp tore her from her thoughts. Somehow, she found herself in the middle of a library. It's collection was immense and nearly overwhelming, but Hermione couldn't help feeling excited by the boundless volumes of knowledge locked away here. The library was clean, there was no dust, there were no cobwebs or cracks in the stone walls. The fire was lit in the corner of the room and above it hung two portraits. Cygnus Black and Druella Black nee Rosier watched her with an excitement even greater than the portraits she passed on the way here. "It's lovely to finally meet you, my dear." The young witch stared into dark eyes and almost saw Bellatrix in them.

"Hello, I've heard a lot about the two of you." Warm expressions met her as she moved closer to them. She sat in one of the armchairs that was positioned across from the fireplace. This room was bright; even livelier than the rest of the manor felt.

"How do you like Black Manor so far?" Cygnus wasn't as stoic as her grandfather was. From the few memories she had of him, Orion Black was always quite standoffish. His smiles were never as welcoming or genuine as Cygnus Black's were. She wished she could have met him in his life and she had only been in his presence for a mere minute. She was quite pleased knowing she never had to meet her grandfather though.

"It's absolutely marvellous." She meant it wholeheartedly. Her parents never worked hard to make Grimmauld Place a home, it was simply where they dwelled. The Black Manor was a home, it held the personal touch of the Black ancestors that once lived here.

"I'm glad you think so, my dear. I trust that I can leave it in your hands until my daughter returns." To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She didn't plan to decline though, this place was something magical even to her, a witch. Something about it was so comforting. She couldn't imagine even looking at Grimmauld Place after entering the Black Manor. "We have no command over the elves from the grave." He shuffled slightly within his frame, as if he were trying to get comfortable. "There is only two rooms in the manor that Bella assigned daily upkeep to. This one and the bedroom she hoped you would be staying in soon." Eleven years these elves spent cleaning these two rooms everyday in preparation for her. Her heart throbbed painfully. She wished she could thank Bellatrix, she wished she could hug the dark witch.

"Something tells me this isn't the only reason you wanted to see me." She wasn't willing to express the emotions she was feeling out loud. Cygnus could see that and he chose not to push for it. She was correct, the manor needed a proper master until his daughter was finally released, but that was more of a warmup to what he really wanted to say.

"There are things that have been kept from you." She scoffed and he nearly laughed at how much she reminded him of Orion in that moment. Her usually stoic expression was similar to her grandfather, as were her facial features. She was the spitting image of Orion Black, though she lacked the usual dark hair.

"It seems many things have been kept from me lately." She looked like a child then. She was a child, he had to remind himself of that. She was just 15, her birthday was around the corner and so was her fifth year at Hogwarts. The war didn't start for him until he was well into his 30s, but she was seeing all of it before she could even graduate. He wanted to tell her things were going to be fine, the sad truth, however, was that this was just the very beginning. The battles were still over the horizon, but they were definitely in the depths of war.

"There is a prophecy, one our Lord swore into secrecy to die with many of his original inner circle." Druella snuck off quickly. She didn't care much for war talk. "The boy-who-lived may be our Lord's equal, but there are two far more powerful than our Lord."

"Am I to find them?" She was never very patient, she was growing tired of secrets and she wanted Cygnus to throw everything at her in one swoop. The suspenseful silence wasn't making things any easier.

"No child, I haven't told a good story in a long time. Hush and listen." Cygnus narrowed his eyes at her before continuing where he left off. "This pair is destined to each other, they share an unbreakable bond. They are the key to the war, you and my daughter are the key." She wanted to be happy, happy that she was such a vital piece of the puzzle, but she wasn't. This information meant that times were just going to get harder. Things were going to get more complicated and Hogwarts was going to become the last place in the world that she wanted to be. It wasn't high on the list to begin with.

Their conversation shifted to lighter topics, Cygnus knew she needed time to process everything she learned. When she was ready to hear more she would return for it. In death he was a kinder man, he didn't take his pleasure by torturing or insulting anymore. He was wary from war, he died in war, just as many of his comrades had. They were ready for the end of it, ready to see their descendants smile and greet them with the soft innocence that every child deserved.

"I'll take over the manor." Hermione's eyes brightened as she imagined living in Bella's home. She would prepare it for the dark witch's return, just as Bella readied it for her. This would be her new sanctuary, a place where Tonks couldn't reach her.

One day was all it took for her perfect haven to be infiltrated. Her aunt was walking with her through the corridors as she instructed the elves. The wards didn't keep the older witch out as this was her childhood home. Hermione was tempted to change the wards, but she remembered one of the things Cygnus told her the previous night.

 _Our family is treacherous. We are liars, cheaters, murders, and everything else done under cover of night, but we stand by our own._

"Savvy, have the elves restore the foyer first, then move on to the drawing room." The head elf was excited to have Hermione staying in the manor. She was eager to please in every way and made certain everything Hermione wanted was of the best quality.

"Hermione, I-" The young witch didn't smile. Her eyes gave no indication that she forgave or was ever going to forget. She stopped and turned to her aunt, grey met blue and neither spoke for a long moment. The silence was deafening, Narcissa feared what the girl would say when she finally opened her mouth. She felt no remorse for hiding Eridanus from her niece, but she felt a soul deep pain for hurting Hermione. Nothing could erase the years of lies, she knew that and it inclined her even further to work harder to gain the girl's trust again.

"If you ever betray me again, aunt or not, I'll put you in the same bin as the Longbottoms." A storm raged in grey eyes, it succeeded in building the guilt in Narcissa's chest even higher. Hermione was growing, the older witch could see it. The younger Hermione would have tortured Narcissa to insanity without a second thought, but this Hermione, this mature young lady, was going to give her aunt another chance.

"I'm so-" Hermione silenced her with a glare.

"You aren't, but we're family." In that moment Hermione forgave. She forgave herself, she forgave her aunt, and she forgave her father. Tonks was a long way from ever earning Hermione's favour, but as her sister, the young witch needed to at least try to bring the woman into the fold. She couldn't think about her own welfare, she had to consider what was best for their family. She spent three hours a week with her uncle learning to lead, protect, and preserve bloodlines. As much as she hated to admit it, the people that hurt her worst and the outsider were all members of the Black line and she couldn't be rid of them. The darkness bore her, it nurtured and raised her, this was her home and these treacherous people were her family.


	12. Chapter 12

The Triwizard Tournament was upon them. Hermione was uninterested to see the students who would be joining them for the term. She knew without a doubt that Durmstrang would be placed with the Slytherins, but Beauxbatons was likely to be scattered about the houses.

Her interest wasn't peaked until she watched the Beauxbatons entrance and a tall blonde caught her eye. Something evil flashed through those pale blue eyes and Hermione wanted nothing more in that moment than to explore her, every part of her.

She was 16 now and her hormones were raging, she hated it, this beautiful French girl, no woman, was making things hard on her. Of course she had her fun with a few girls, but she never allowed them to touch her, to see her in her weakened state, but she wanted this one to touch her. It irritated her to no end.

Hermione's plate was a mess as she violently stabbed everything she could get her hands on. No one at the Slytherin table dared to speak, not to the Slytherin Queen or amongst themselves. Even the Durnstrang students knew to keep their mouths shut as they sensed who was in power here.

She was ripped from her thoughts and observations as someone tapped her shoulder. Her magic flared and nearly threw the person across the Great Hall, but Hermione reeled in the reaction and settled on a light shock.

Her eyes slowly rose and she came face to face with the very person filling her mind. The taller blonde smiled darkly as traces of magic flowed through her hand.

"Bonjour, ma petite." Hermione's magic reacted to this too, but it seemed to reach out to the other girl. It licked slowly across the French girl's magical core. Hermione smiled as her grey eyes darkened minutely.

"Bonjour, ma chérie." The Slytherins looked at the pair oddly, they had never seen Hermione smile and flirt so openly. It seemed that the air in the room became thicker and darker the longer the girls were in each other's presence.

"May I sit with you?" The thick accent sent a pulse between Hermione's legs and she inhaled sharply. She caught the French girl's scent and her body continued to react.

"Why, of course you may." Hermione recklessly used her wandless magic to push Fred down the bench. A few students noticed, but no one would dare speak of it so openly. "What brings you to our table of snakes?"

"Ahh, ma petite, I saw you from across the room and was enamoured." The taller blonde sat and began to slowly twirl Hermione's pristine curls through her fingers. "You are a true beauty."

The two could be found in many of the castle's alcoves doing things that could make even the most promiscuous of students around the school blush. There was never any hand holding or hugging, but it was obvious to every student that Fleur Delacour was off limits.

"Ma petite, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?" Fleur was knuckle deep inside of the shorter blonde as she whispered her question into the young Black's ear. Hermione's back arched off of her bed in the Slytherin dorms and she moaned out a quiet affirmation as she reached her peak.

Fleur always snuck away from the Slytherin dorm in the middle of the night. Hermione was content during the day, but as the moon rose and her eyes closed, her demons awoke.

 _A bloodied hand wound itself into sweat matted blonde curls. Her dirt smeared body was dragged across a crimson stained floor as she kicked and screamed. There was no light, but she could see the room clearly. The library of Black Manor was destroyed, every tome was torn and burned to ashes. The ceiling was crumbling, debris fell all around her._

 _"Your Lord is dead." Harry Potter spat as he dragged her to the fireplace. Above her was no longer the portraits of Cygnus and Druella Black. Dumbledore was perched there and he smiled with a satisfaction that sent a shiver through her spine because beneath the victory in his eyes lie malicious intent. She snarled as Potter wrapped his hand tighter in her hair and forced her to kneel before his master. She would kill them all, her Lord failed, but she would succeed. She would start here with Harry Potter._

 _"She fought well, child." Her eyes narrowed, but her interest was clear. "She battled ten of my best wizards before they could finally kill her." Then she was screaming. Bellatrix' body appeared beside her. It was mangled and bloodied. Then she fought, Harry Potter was a somewhat skilled duelist, but he had no hand to hand training and Hermione took advantage of that. As she bashed his face in, she stared into lifeless black eyes and cried. She cried for her Bella. The world was hers to conquer, but there was no world without Bellatrix._

Hermione slowly opened her eyes. The sunlight that poured through the lake streamed into the room. The Black Manor was the star of her worse nightmare. Before she dreamt of a malnourished Bellatrix, one that was falling apart, but partially alive. This Bellatrix was very dead and that scared Hermione more than she would ever admit.

She slowly rolled from bed, her limbs moving sluggishly. She felt weighed down and exhausted as she bathed and dressed for classes.

Snape shot her a concerned glance as she shuffled into potions, well as concerned as Snape can get. He gave a difficult lesson today. He wanted to test his star pupil's ability to perform under pressure.

She yawned as she sliced her root, thinly of course, and ground it before dumping it into the mixture. This was a dry potion, a dust, it was meant to temporarily immobilised the magic of enemies in case one lost their wand and needed to switch to more physical means. The dust was something even ministry trained wizards found difficulty with. That's why Snape prepared to sneer at every student upon the ending of class, except Hermione, of course. Potions were her least favourite subject as a small child, but she quickly advanced in the art.

"Professor, I'm..." She yawned and swayed a bit, but the twins stabilised her. "finished, sir." The class didn't seem to notice the events, but the three males at the front of the class stared worriedly at the girl.

"Excellent job as always, Miss Black, perhaps you should return to your dormitory for some rest." Though his words were kind, his tone was sharp and biting. Hermione knew the man well and understood the care he felt for her.

She did return to her bed and as her eyes closed she saw dead black abysses. She shot up from her bed with a startle gasp. Her eyes looked at the sun through the lake, it seemed to be setting.

"Hey Black, if you hurry you can make it to dinner." Bulstrode strolled into their dorm with a small smile. She still held a slight grudge over that spell she cast their first year, but she was growing fond of the girl. She wasn't ready to follow her every command as the twins were, but she considered Hermione her leader in the same way Pucey did. Surprisingly Greengrass was still waiting for Hermione's every order, though the Black heir was unlikely to trust her again.

Hermione rolled from her bed and cast a spell to straighten her robs before squaring her shoulders and strolling from the dormitory with her followers close behind. The twins flanked her, behind them stood Bulstrode, Pucey, Flint, and the halfblood Wakes girl. Then trailing at the very back after weeks in the hospital wing was Greengrass. Hermione saw the girl trailing them one day and cast a leprosy curse on her.

"Mione, Christmas is coming up." George smiled.

"Think you want to..." Fred grinned excitedly.

"Come to the Burrow..."

"And terrorise our brother?"

Hermione sighed, but she saw no reason to decline. The house was full of bloodtraitors that would suspect her, but it didn't hurt as long as she didn't say anything incriminating.

"I suppose so. Would the rest of you like to attend as well?" It came in question form, but it was a clear command. She didn't wish to spend Christmas in a house of Weasleys without her entire crew present. The option, however, was far better than going to the Malfoy Manor and watching her uncle drink himself into oblivion and listen to her sister's stories of how great the light would be if they all joined them. Hermione would scoff at the woman and tell her to close her bloody mouth so the rest of them could attempt to enjoy Christmas.

"Miss Black, may I speak with you before supper?" Professor McGonagall appeared at the top of the steps to the dungeons with a tight lipped smile. Hermione rolled her eyes, but followed the elder witch anyway.

"What would you like to speak to me about, Professor?" Ever the polite witch, McGonagall noted.

"I can make them stop." The girl remained stoic, but she raised an eyebrow as sign for the woman to continue. "The nightmares, I can make them stop. You haven't slept well in weeks, I know all about it." Hermione scoffed.

"Professor, we are missing dinner. I would like to spend the evening with my friends. If you will excuse me." Hermione easily brushed the woman off and continued down the corridor. McGonagall made no attempt to stop her. The child's eyes held a darkness that surpassed even the Dark Lord. The elder witch had to remind herself that this child was not Bellatrix Black because as she watched her face drain of all emotion, she swore by Merlin that the dark witch was standing before her again.

Hermione entered the Great Hall with her head raised high, though bags were beginning to form beneath her eyes, she still held all the regality that the Black line bore into her. She sat at the head of the Slytherin table and smiled at the empty plates of her housemates. No one ate until she did. Surprisingly she wasn't nearly as hungry as she believed herself to be. The moment she began to dress her plate her appetite left and she settled with a dinner roll and a side of potato.

Fleur was waiting for her in the seat to her right. Her eyes held worry and Hermione hated that. Fleur was beginning to feel and Hermione didn't want to return those feelings. There was only one person in the world who held her heart and Fleur could not have it.

"Are you dieting or something, Black?" The twins shot Hermione concerned glances as Pucey noticed her lack of food.

"I'm fine." She spat and the table quickly turned back to their meals.

"Are you sure, ma petite?" Fleur slowly caressed the shorter blonde's face. Hermione placed her hand over the French girl's.

"I am." That was the end of it.

McGonagall watched her closely from the professor table. Everyday she grew stronger and everyday she pushed further from the light. They were losing their chance. Having a power strong enough to rival Bellatrix Black would set the war in their favour. The two forces would never collide, very few knew of the close relationship between the girl and a Bellatrix, McGonagall had only learned by accident. As a professor it was her duty to occasionally eavesdrop, she told herself it was for the safety of the students, but she knew it was only young Miss Black whose conversations were monitored.

Hermione returned to her dorm without her usual tryst with Fleur and fell into her bed. She was exhausted. The night was filled with nightmares. Hermione slept very little and an ache began to grew in her chest.

As the Yule Ball passed and the Triwizard Tournament concluded with Cedric Diggory dead, Fleur Delacour victorious, and Harry Potter scarred for life by the return of her Lord, Hermione found herself a little more satisfied with life.

Azkaban

It was snowing, it would be beautiful, but the cold soaked agonisingly into Bellatrix' bones. As long as she has spent in this soul sucking abyss, something kept her going. She could slump over and die, between the bitter cold, the poor hygiene, and lack of food, there were many times death could have consumed her. She only had one reason left to live and that reason was called Hermione.

Bellatrix blew into her hands and curled into a ball. She had no tears left to shed for her dearest Hermione and only a shrivelled up centimetre of will to survive.

She tried to sleep that night, but she couldn't keep her eyes closed as an ache began to grow in her chest.


	13. Chapter 13

Fleur Delacour was a fun fling for the school term, but as Hermione's 17th birthday came closer she and the ache in her chest grew stronger, she knew only one person could ever have her love. Bellatrix Black was her entire world and had been for as long as she could remember.

Hermione woke up the day she was meant to board the train and her head was pounding. She had a fever that was ravaging her body and the ache in her chest began to spread throughout the rest of her system. Eridanus was concerned for her younger sister, something was very wrong with her.

"Mione, I need you to rest." She whispered as she pushed the young blonde back down onto her bed. The prodigy was determined to make it to Hogwarts, but it seemed she would be attending school from home for a while. It had been hours and nothing brought her fever down.

"I have no time for rest." Hermione wheezed through chapped lips. "The train leaves in an hour." Eridanus ran her fingers through the girl's hair and hummed softly until she fell into another fitful sleep.

Narcissa arrived not too long after. She was furious as she ran her eyes over the exhausted girl sprawled across sweat dampened silk sheets.

"Why is it that my niece has been lying prone for the last four hours and I am just being informed?" Narcissa cast a quick wandless cooling charm on the young blonde and smiled softly as her tossing and turning eased, but she quickly turned an angry glare onto her sister's filthy bastard. "You didn't think to cast a cooling charm? She could have lost dozens of brain cells lying there with a temperature of Merlin only knows!"

She snapped and Kreacher appeared. "Gather my niece and bring her to her room at Malfoy Manor. She needs to be monitored until we can find out what exactly she has contracted." Kreacher bowed and placed his hand on Hermione before apparating away with her.

"I had the situation under control." Narcissa rolled her eyes, which was very unladylike of her, but she cared very little as her niece lie nearly dying.

"Obviously not." Was her simple reply before leaving the Black Manor as she arrived. She hated that Hermione allowed Eridanus into the sacred family home, but she wouldn't mention changing the wards until Bella was finally home. For now she had to worry about Hermione.

Azkaban

It was in the dead of the night when Bellatrix felt the ground begin to shake. It was in the dead of night when she watched smoke spiral into the air as her fellow Death Eaters apparated home. The moment her cell was blown open, she grinned, but her magic refused to cooperate with the ache spreading through her body. Long blonde hair caught her eyes and suddenly she was looking into the grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy, her cowardly drunk of a brother-in-law was saving her and she hated it. Lucius wrapped a firm arm around her and their bodies dissolved into smoke as he carried her through the skies. It was finally time to go home.

Malfoy Manor

Hermione slipped from her bedroom, she was still weak, but her energy was slowly coming back to her. She soaked into the darkness and slowly crept through the corridors. She was losing momentum quickly as fatigue began to catch up with her, but something was drawing her in.

She stopped in front of a door on the opposite end of the house from her own. A letter B was burned into the door's smooth surface. That was it, she thought. It was finally time. Something in her knew that her heart lie behind this door, but fear of what condition her heart would be in stopped her.

 _Show no fear, dove, Bella is here_.

She smiled at the memory. There was nothing to fear, not with Bella so near to her. Her fingers trailed gently over the ornate door handle before turning it and pushing the door open.

She started at the floor, her eyes slowly trailing up from bare feet to long legs, as she continued she ran into a short robe that stopped mid thigh. Her eyes raked higher, Bella was so thin it hurt, but nothing would keep her from soaking in every detail of the woman she hadn't seen since she was 4 years old. Bella was about a head taller then she was, thanks to her mother, she was always quite short. Thick inky curls fell messily over slouched shoulders. Her back was turned to the girl, but she felt her, every centimetre of her magic danced happily with her own, but Hermione was never meant to see her this way.

"Bella." Hermione whispered as she took a slow step forward, the ache in her chest decreasing ever so slightly with each step closer.

"Go to bed, dove. We can speak once you have recovered." Hermione admired the still angelic tones of the dark witch's voice, but she stumbled slightly as she tried to get closer. She was growing weaker still, she needed more rest. Bella knew the girl was only growing ill from their years apart. Their souls were bound and with each passing year there was a cost, for Bella it was her mind and for Hermione it was her body. Though Bellatrix was emaciated, her body was strong, but she felt the cracks growing in her sanity.

"But Bella..." The elder witch turned quickly, she flashed rotten teeth and dark abysses flared with anger. Her slumped shoulders grew straight as she stood to her full height. Bellatrix was a true warrior, just as her name suggested. Hermione was entranced by the woman's graceful gait and her agile tongue as she softly spoke her first curse since Azkaban. "Crucio."

Hermione didn't make a sound as she crashed to the floor. She practiced this, she bit into her lower lip and blood flowed down her chin like tears. The curse was short lived and when her grey eyes met Bella's again she saw the madness there. The dark witch had truly lost her mind. She didn't hate the raven haired woman for it, no, she wanted more than anything to be by her side with every step she took.

"I won't leave you." Hermione grunted as she attempted to stand again, but the last of her energy reserves were exhausted and she collapsed. "You're mine, Bella." She whispered as her eyes slid shut.

Bellatrix closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself. When her dark eyes opened she frowned at the blood on the girl's face. She promised herself in Azkaban that this girl would have all of her adoration and love, but she was already ruining everything. The voices in her mind whispered until they yelled and suddenly she was crying. She dug jagged cuts into her forearms with her dirty finger nails and ripped at her messy curls. She fell to the ground and rammed her fist into it until her knuckles split open and crimson essence flowed onto the floor. Her eyes took on a haze as dark thoughts began to circle in her head.

"Shut up! Shut your filthy mouths!" She screamed at the voices in her mind.

 _She will never love you._

 _You are weak and she will never want you._

 _Not even your parents wanted you, remember Bella!_

She rocked back and forth and sobbed loudly as the voices continued. These were the demons that Azkaban bore, that evil place filled her mind with darkness, more so than already resided there. Her glazed eyes cleared just enough for her to see her dove and suddenly it was all gone. Her tormentors were silenced instantly. She crawled across the marble floor, a trail of blood following her. Her arms wrapped around the youth as she curled herself on the floor next to Hermione.

"Sweet dreams, dove." She pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead and drifted into the most peaceful sleep she had received in over a decade.

She felt strong fingers running gently through her hair. A possessive arm was wrapped tightly around her waist. She felt at peace for the first time in a long time. She basked in it, allowed it to consume her. A soft moan left her lips as soft lips pressed against her throat and sharp teeth pulled her pale flesh between them. Her back arched as incisors clamped down and broke skin leaving a bloodied mark.

"Bella." She whispered and the fingers gently moving through her hair clenched around the blonde curls and pulled her head further to the side. The dark witch pressed closer to the youth's throat, biting deeper. Slowly the teeth left her and Hermione whimpered softly.

"They're going to try to marry you off one day, I want them to know you're mine." Grey eyes fluttered open and were met with blood coated lips and slightly crazed black eyes. A smile stretched the length of Hermione's face as she pressed her lips to Bella's. She could taste herself, it made the kiss even more intense. She could feel her magic dancing with Bella's, their bodies pressing closer as their hearts began to beat in sync.

"No one will ever have me because I'm yours." Those words set the dark witch off. She pushed herself away from the blonde and clenched her fists.

"Liar!" She slide across the floor to get closer to the blonde. Her eyes glistening with lunacy. She was losing herself to the demon's whispering in her mind. Her voice took on a sickly sweet tone as she spoke. "You think I don't know?" Her hands gripped at blonde curls. "You took comfort in some girl's body, knowing I was coming back!" Bella's eyes narrowed before the dark haze in them cleared. She looked into Hermione's eyes and saw concern and she began to hate herself.

"Bella, it's okay." Hermione could see the clarity returning to her dark witch. Agony filled her dark abysses and the blonde reached her hands up to pull the elder witch closer. "It's okay, Bella, I'm here." She cooed as the raven haired witch's body trembled.

As much as she thought she needed Bella, it seemed the elder witch needed her even more.


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione didn't return to Hogwarts after recovering and after a week it seemed she wouldn't be returning at all. The world was under a new regime, the reign of the Dark Lord was upon them and the light was becoming desperate. The Ministry was theirs and Order aurors were resigning their positions and slinking off to the shadows. Hogwart's curriculum was altered and now mudbloods were no longer safe within the walls of their former magical haven.

Another week passed and Hermione was called before the Dark Lord, who smiled upon her. Some of his followers were quite jealous of the relationship the young blonde had with their lord, but they wouldn't speak against it from fear of risking their families. Her next task was a simple one, but it didn't lack in importance.

Hermione smiled dazzlingly at the witch across from her. They were at a small cafe in the heart of Paris. Fleur Delacour was pleasantly surprised when an owl began tapping at her window and out right shocked when her eyes fell over Hermione's handwriting. This is the moment she dreamt of many nights since she let Hogwarts.

"It's quite lovely to see you, ma chérie." Fleur took a slow sip from her tea, her eyes never leaving the blonde witch before her. As much as she wanted the letter to hold proclamations of love, this was all business, just as Hermione always was. The younger blonde didn't hint at what it was she wanted in the letter, but her short message including a place, date, and time was all that was needed to break Fleur's heart. "However, I know as you do, this is not a social call." Hermione smirked and shrugged slightly.

"You know me well Fleur." The younger witch laced her fingers with the frenchwoman's, her thumb slowly caressing the soft alabaster skin. "You are a curse breaker for the French ministry. I have an offer, I'm sure you can't decline."

Hermione's next stop was in Diagon Alley, a simple polyjuice potion later she was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron at a corner table across from twin mops of flaming hair and excitement.

"We missed you, 'Mione." She narrowed her eyes at them, a quick sweep of the room and a stinging hex to both of their knees quieted them.

"As you well know, I am here undercover." She whispered before casting a few privacy charms around them. "That means you can't go off screaming my name like senseless children." She continued at a regular volume.

"We're-" Fred began

"Sorry." George finished, both holding their heads low.

"Why'd you summon us?" Fred smiled with a twinkle in his eye, the scolding going in one ear and promptly out the other. Hermione shook her head at the two, but a small smile formed on her lips. After all these years dealing with these imbeciles, she couldn't help feeling a bit fond of them.

"I have a job for you." She didn't have to give them an offer as she did with Fleur, these two would follow her to the ends of the Earth.

Her final meeting was with her least favourite follower. She stepped gracefully into the Greengrass manor's drawing room. Her piercing gaze washed over the eldest Greengrass with distaste. Daphne scrambled to pull Hermione's seat out before returning to her own. She smiled with hope filling her heart. With a snap of her fingers a tea service appeared on the small table as well as sliced sandwiches.

"It's lovely to see you again." Daphne poured their tea with slightly trembling hands before adding milk and two sugars to Hermione's and taking her own without either.

"The sentiment is not returned." Hermione sipped her tea for a few moments as Daphne absorbed her words. The Greengrass heir frowned, but didn't speak. "Our lord has graciously offered a place for you in this new world. You were my most loyal, Daphne." The taller blonde placed her tea back on its decorative saucer before standing swiftly.

"And what makes you think, after all of the abuse I have received from you, that I of all people would cooperate with your lord?" Hermione almost sneered, but she held her finally tuned expression in place. Cool, calculating grey eyes stared deeply into ocean blue. The taller blonde quickly sat down, her resolve crumbling under Hermione's gaze.

"Listen well, Daphne. This new world is nothing like the old. There will be no mercy for bloodtraitors, I suggest that you rethink your opinion and do so quickly." Hermione only needed to take one more sip from her tea before the younger girl submitted.

"What would you like me to do?"

Hermione smiled softly as she made her way up the Malfoy Manor's stairs. Bellatrix was sprawled across her bed, a deep scowl set on her face as Hermione entered.

"I missed you, Bella." The dark witch rolled her eyes before beginning another staring match with the canopy. "Don't be so sour." Hermione laughed softly and the dark witch rolled from the bed, landing on her feet, and pressing the younger witch to the nearest wall.

"I'm hardly sour, dove." Freshly reformed teeth dug into the blonde's neck leaving another bloody bite in their wake. "My witch is off on missions, while I am being confined, not just to the manor, but to my chambers." Bella huffed irritably. "As if I am some unruly child!" The raven haired woman stepped away from the blonde and scowled once again. "I should have cursed you the moment you walked through the door. How dare you show your face here after leaving me to my own devices?"

"It's unlikely you would have cursed me with your wand locked away in my chambers." The blonde laughed once again, her dark haired witch huffing at the jibe.

"Was your mission a success?" Bella knew it was, but she asked to keep the room from falling into silence. That was what she hated most about being confined to her chambers, the silence. Her thoughts raged when she was left alone to simmer in them. Their lord refused to let her out of the manor until her mental state was properly sorted.

"It was, I'm hosting a dinner for my inner circle and I to go over our next mission." Bella grinned at the younger witch and Hermione smirked in return. "No, you may not attend." The dark witch frowned and grumbled under her breath as she returned to her bed. "I'll be back after dinner." Hermione spoke over her shoulder as she disappeared out the door.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Fleur sat next to Hermione, the twins sat on Hermione's other side, and Daphne sat next to them. The rest of the Death Eaters also appeared for dinner and their Lord sat at the head of the table. Morale was high, so their lord didn't feel the need for speeches to keep his followers motivated. After the meal was finished, Hermione and her inner circle retired to Lucius' study.

"Why do you trust us for this mission? There are skilled Death Eaters at your disposal." Daphne hadn't received any favor from Hermione in a long time, she was skeptical about the shorter blonde's sudden need for her.

"The four of you have shown your loyalty to me time and time again. I trust each of you more than any veteran Death Eater." Hermione looked across her inner circle. She sat in a high backed arm chair, with Fleur perched on one of the arms, the twins and Daphne sat across from them on the sofa. A fire roared in the hearth beside them and blocked out the chill that constantly ran through Malfoy Manor.

"What are we to do?" Fleur looked to the younger blonde with a smile. The veela appreciated being given an offer, it was true she couldn't refuse it, but she would happily follow Hermione to the ends of the earth even without it.

"We have a greater threat to the cause than just the order of the limp pigeons. Brys Zabini has sent a letter to my sister demanding our immediate wedding." Fleur flinched away from Hermione, hurt in her eyes. She knew Hermione had a lot on her shoulders, but she hoped if something like this was afoot the younger witch would have at least mentioned it.

"What does that have to do with the cause?" Daphne raised a pale eyebrow and frowned. She would reconsider her involvement if this was just Hermione trying to break free from a marriage contract.

"Brys has plans to overthrow our Lord and he wishes for me to be his queen. Our Lord has tasked us with crumbling Zabini's foolish ambition or destroy him and his family while trying." The twins grinned with excitement in their shining blue eyes.

"We are" Fred stood.

"Honoured to be" George stood too.

"Of assistance!" They bowed and chuckled as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"But wait, how do you know what Brys has planned?" Fleur shifted on the arm of Hermione's chair, her eyes falling on the younger blonde.

"His younger brother, Blaise, is a filthy little coward, but he's quite handy sometimes. He owled me the day Brys owled my sister." Each of her inner circle were quiet for a moment, their thoughts racing. Daphne nodded slowly, her eyes finding Hermione's again.

"When do we start?"

Hermione was on her way back to her chambers as the moon rose to its peak. Her inner circle was sound asleep in the guest chambers down the hall. As she passed by Bella's door a shadow moved and grabbed her by her waist. Hermione knew who was grabbing her the moment Bella's rich scent hit her nose. Being so close to the dark witch was heaven, but she couldn't help teasing her a bit.

"Bella, you shouldn't be out of your chambers." The elder witch growled, her teeth nipping the girl's earlobe.

"I've waited patiently for hours to have you. It's finally midnight, so I'd like to give you your birthday present." The dark witch purred into her ear and pulled her through the door behind them. Bella turned Hermione and pressed their lips together. The kiss was violent, a clashing of teeth and the mixing of blood. The elder witch slid her fingers beneath the younger witch's shirt and dug her nails into the skin there.

Their clothes fell to the floor in a heap and Bella pulled the younger witch onto the bed. Their eyes met and neither dared to look away. Bella's fingers plunged into the younger witch and her eyes narrowed. She felt for Hermione's barrier and growled when she found it absent.

"Which of those inexperienced little girl's defiled you?" Hermione moaned softly as Bella's fingers curled inside of her. She wrapped her arms around the dark witch's neck and pulled their foreheads together.

"It doesn't matter, Bella, I'm yours." Nails dug into her hip and teeth bit into her bottom lip. Hermione's back arched and she smiled as blood dripped from her lip.

Hermione didn't return to her chambers.

The young blonde woke her witch with a kiss the next morning. She was freshly showered and dressed in a clean outfit.

"Why are you awake so early, dove?" Bella groaned and tried to pull Hermione into the bed.

"I have to leave for a mission." Dark eyes popped open and the dark witch sat up. She moved to get out of bed, but Hermione stopped her. "You can stay in bed, Bella." The blonde pulled the duvet back up and gently pushed Bella back down. She pressed their lips together and pulled away a short moment after.

"How long will you be away?" The elder witch's eyelids began to droop and a yawn fell from her mouth.

"At least three months." That caught Bella's attention, her hand wrapped around Hermione's wrist and pulled her into the bed. Dark eyes swirled with rage. The blonde was immediately pinned to the bed, her wrist held above her head. Her eyes zoned into Bella's state of undress.

"When were you planning to tell me?" Bella's sharp nails dug into the younger witch's wrists and drew blood. She wasn't willing to be separated from her dove, especially while confined to her chambers. She couldn't get to her love's side if something went wrong. Her heart ached, but she wouldn't let Hermione see her that way, so she chose to be angry. She didn't care too much that Hermione took so long to mention the mission, she was likely do that exact thing if she were in the blonde's position.

"It's easier this way, Bellatrix. I'll be back before you know it." But that wasn't true, Bella would notice her absence the moment she passed the door.

"Easier for you. Fine dove, leave, but if something happens to you, I'll kill you." Bella captured the young witch's lips with her own. She released Hermione's wrists and her arms immediately wrapped around the elder witch's waist.

"Behave while I'm away." Hermione whispered as she pulled away. Bella snorted and rolled her eyes, she moved to allow the blonde to stand. "I love you." Hermione smiled softly before leaving the room and closing the double doors behind her.


	15. Chapter15

**It's been awhile, I know. I've been indecisive with the direction of the story since the last chapter, but I've finally made a decision. The Zabinis were a bit of a hinderance for a while, I had no clue what I wanted to do with them and that's kept me from updating. It was actually about 2 hours ago that I decided on something and it felt brilliant in my mind, so I wrote it down. No clue if it's worth the paper it's written on (figuratively, of course) at this point, but here it is.**

 **l..l**

Sicily was beautiful. The Blacks owned a beach house in the area and Hermione and her inner circle were settling in for their mission. Hermione took the master bedroom up the stairs at the end of the hall, while her inner circle each took rooms on the first level.

The first two weeks were unsuccessful. Besides not having any luck breaking the wards around the Zabini estate, there was no signs of any of the family going in or coming out. They only descended on the manor in the dead of the night to keep from being detected and with a few charms in place, their magical signatures were made undetectable. Hermione knew they covered every avenue, they checked and rechecked to be sure, but somehow she was being followed on her way back to the beach house.

Her inner circle was likely warm in their beds, dozing with the sun, but Hermione was out. She stayed behind nearly 3 hours in hopes of finding some way in, but the bruises littering her arms were sign enough of her failure.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the tall dark figure following her through the streets of Sicily. She turned down a dark alleyway and stopped halfway toward the dead end. The footsteps continued on for a moment before she felt their magic flow over hers. Theirs was demanding, it was dark and unyielding no matter how hard she pushed back with her own.

"I didn't think you'd allow yourself to fall into my trap so easily, piccola." His voice swarmed her, his voice was even deeper than it was in his sixth year. Thick muscled arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her backward into his firm chest. Even through his robes, she could feel the muscles lining his body.

The necklace resting against her chest, once dormant and forgotten, was glowing and heating. It was invisible to everyone except herself and Brys Zabini. He turned her in his arms and stared heatedly into her eyes. His hair was still short, but long enough for curls to form on the top of his head.

Hermione pressed herself closer to him. She felt like she was dreaming and in this dream being in his arms felt right. It had to be a dream and finding pleasure in his presence wouldn't hurt as long as she was asleep. She wouldn't fight this, when the sun rose, she would be in her bed in her family home on the beach and Brys' eyes and the warmth of his touch would fade with the darkness of the night.

The necklace heated further before it made a small noise and broke from her neck. Like lava, it dripped from her neck and seared her flesh down her arm until it reached her ring finger, wrapping itself around it. The Zabini crest glowed a bright red before dimming to an onyx jewel on her finger.

"Brys, I've been looking for you." She whispered into his ear as his arms tightened around her. Her body felt like it was on fire and only Brys could put it out. Everywhere his skin touched hers, the heat dimmed. She wanted to be closer to him, to remove the barriers between them, to rip his clothes from his body and feel him on her and in her in ways she'd never imagined before.

"I know, piccola. I've come to collect you. You've been roaming for too long, it's time to come home." His eyes were hypnotic, they drew her in and stole her heart. For a moment she struggled against the feeling, there was something she needed to remember; someone. Her heart ached for a moment, but with a jerk of her chin, he forced her eyes back on his and the fight was over. She was drowning in him, but dying in his embrace was a better fate than any other.

There was a tug at her navel and she shut her eyes for a second. When they opened again, she was in a luxurious room decorated in dark colours. A fire was lit across from them and a bear rug lie before it with a beautiful leather loveseat close enough to soak in the warmth. Brys didn't give her long to look around the room before he was pressing his lips to hers.

His lips were plush and soft, they devoured her and cooled the growing heat radiating across her skin.

"Brys, it hurts." She whimpered as his fingers massaged her hips gently through her skirt.

"I know, cara, I will make it better. I'm the only one who can make it stop." He whispered before ripping her blouse down the middle. Buttons flew around them and her pale skin was bared to him. The cool air did nothing for the temperature of her skin. With the flick of her wrist, his shirt was open and she was pushing it as well as his robes from his shoulders. He tore her brassiere and her breasts were freed from the black lace.

She pressed herself against him and moaned softly as her skin began to cool where they touched, but it wasn't nearly enough. He lifted her, one arm rounded her waist and the other gripped her chin and pulled her back into a searing kiss. Her legs hooked around his hips and her arms looped over his shoulders.

"Please." She whimpered into his mouth. She needed the pain to stop, she needed the heat ebb. He kissed her jaw and neared her neck, he stilled before his lips could touch it. His eyes glared at the marked flesh, the bite was long healed, but he could see the scar. The scar of someone who believed themselves worthy of claiming his queen. His magic flared around them and Hermione writhed against him as the heat increased tenfold.

"You belong to me." He growled, the sound was beastly, as if Brys was no longer a man. His magic pressed around them and Hermione cried out as the inferno continued. "Say it, cara. You belong to me."

She opened her mouth to say it, but a voice spoke in the back of her mind. A memory surfaced, one that felt like another lifetime now. Long inky black curls caressed her skin and she stared into dark eyes that promised to love and protect her for eternity. She whispered sweet words to her and her heart swelled with warmth; with happiness. She was brought back to reality when Brys' voice reached her ears.

"I am the only one who can end your pain, Hermione." He laid her across the bed behind her and pressed his erection against her core. Even with the barrier of their clothing, she felt her muscles relax with the promise of feeling him unfiltered. He could put the fire out and bring her relief. "I'll leave you to suffer. Who do you belong to?" She was silent another moment and he began to pull himself from her embrace.

"No!" She begged, her legs tightening around his waist and her hands pulling him back into a deep kiss. "I belong to you!" She whined desperately. With the words in the air the woman in the back of her mind began to fade until she was nothing but dust in the wind.

The final articles of clothing were removed and she found rapture in his touch. The flames licking at her flesh were washed away by the cool waves of him. He pressed into her and she gasped as he filled her so entirely. Her back arched in hopes of feeling more of him. He stared into her eyes and with each movement she felt herself falling deeper into him. The ring on her finger vibrated as she reached her peak. She felt their magics joining and lights began to explode around them.

He wasn't finished with her though. He needed her to know without a doubt that she was his. He was the only one who could make her feel this way. The woman he saw in her mind would be erased and only he would remain. With a final burst of magic he released into her and she felt him in her mind. She felt him as if he were apart of her now.

He swept her sweat soaked curls from her forehead and planted a tender kiss there.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Zabini." He grinned. He turned them, pulling her onto his chest and humming an old lullaby his mother use to sing. Her eyes drooped before closing as she drifted into a peaceful slumber.

l..l

Fleur trembled as she stared at the floor in fear. The Dark Lord stood over her, pure fury in his crimson eyes. Daphne's screams reached her even from the dungeon as the werewolves used her as they pleased. Fred and George didn't fair much better, they were bitten and dragged down to the dungeons as well to see if they would survive the beast's curse.

"I will not ask again. Your friends proved themselves useless, Miss Delacour, I suggest you rise above them." The snake faced man was enraged over the capture of Hermione. Brys Zabini sent them a letter after a week of searching and boasted of his success. Hermione Zabini, as he called her, was home with him and he had no plans of allowing her to leave anytime soon.

"My lord, I don't believe Hermione would betray you, she was your most loyal follower, your most devoted even as a first year in Hogwarts. There must be more to this than we have been told." She was proud of herself for keep her voice steady as she spoke. Daphne was given to the wolves because her fear induced stuttering wasn't bringing their lord any closer to the answers he wanted. The twins weren't even questioned, without Hermione to vouch for them, the Dark Lord took their Weasley lineage as enough to punish them.

"Stand." He commanded, she followed without a second thought. She lifted her eyes to his for only a moment, but the short glance was enough for her shoulders to release a bit of tension. He seemed in thought as he turned his back and returned to his throne. "Mulciber, bring the Malfoys to me. Miss Delacour, you are dismissed." His voice was no longer an angry hiss, it was a calm, airy whisper.

The Malfoys entered immediately, they were waiting outside to hear what fate had befallen Hermione. They kneeled with their heads bowed deeply and were quickly told to stand.

"What have you been hiding from me?" He wasn't the sort to chase around subjects, especially not when his prodige was likely being held captive in the manor of a family with secrets that would make them his downfall.

"The head of the Zabini House began courting Hermione in her first year. It wasn't a very long courtship, Josephine received the official courtship request and declined it without a second thought. Hermione, from what she told my wife, didn't have any contact with Lord Zabini before he gave her a tome in the ancient language." Lucius spoke quickly, but clearly. He trembled, but gripped his cane tightly and leaned onto for support. He couldn't look weak in front of his lord, but it was a nearly impossible task.

"What sort of tome?" Their lord turned his attention to Narcissa, she faired better than her husband. Her mask of indifference fooled everyone except their lord. He could see the guilt and worry beyond her facade.

" _Infinitae Cognitionis_ , was the title. She sent me a letter after receiving it and asked for my help with deciphering it. My plan was to find some way to get her out of the contract, but Lucius swore me to secrecy and inaction." Narcissa glanced at her husband for a moment before returning her gaze to their lord. Placing the blame on Lucius would spare her a punishment and hopefully keep her alive long enough to send Draco off somewhere safe and prevent Bella from losing her mind when the news reached her.

"There is only one copy of that text, if he gave it to her, then his plan was to claim her even then, with or without her mother's permission." Their lord flicked his wrist and Lucius crashed to the marble floor beneath him. There was no scream or writhing and Narcissa wondered if the man was killed on impact, but only another moment passed before his lungs expanded and a howl of something more than pain entered the dense air of the throne room. His body flailed for a moment before smoke began to billow from his open mouth and his body began to bubble.

Narcissa remained stone faced, but she couldn't help the horror building in her as his flesh melted from the inside out. He collapsed into a puddle of molten skin and blood with one more wheezing cough. His skeleton was the last solid part of him, blackened by the internal flames that stole his last breath.

"You will take your husband's place in my inner circle, do not disappoint me or you will meet a fate much worse than his. You are dismissed, Lady Malfoy." With a graceful bow, Narcissa turned and left. Though the death of her husband was gruesome, she found herself liberated and by the very man who put her in chains to begin with.

Her next task would be a dangerous one. She followed the corridor to the north wing and found herself in front of her sister's door. She breathed deeply before turning the handle.

 **l..l**

 **There's probably quite a few of you who have given up on this story, but I'm determined to finish it no matter how long it takes. Leave a review and tell me what you think. What do you think will happen next?**


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